


In Limbo

by christy00 (nachan00)



Category: DBSK|Tohoshinki|TVXQ
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Legal, Angst, Drama, Legal Drama, M/M, Murder Mystery, Mystery, Police, Romance, Slow Build, Violence, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-07-14
Updated: 2014-02-19
Packaged: 2017-12-20 04:19:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 73,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/882870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nachan00/pseuds/christy00
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a raid gone terribly bad, Yunho is jumbled with a new mysterious partner in his never-ending quest for justice and righteousness. But he doesn't know who changes the most, himself or the people around him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Originally started in my LJ in 2011.

For a moment there was only silence. Then came the thundering sound of the shot echoing throughout the parking lot, reaching all levels up and down. Yunho's heart was hammering in his throat, threatening to jump out.

* * *

The sound of the ambulance rang in his ears annoyingly. Yunho tried to put it aside in his mind, to somehow block it away but it never did until the sluggish driver turned it off. Yunho walked down the front steps of the apartment building and stood aside to let the busy medical team through.

  
"Hey, Yunho-sshi! Just heard your partner got shot. Care to give me a little insight on the event? How did the criminal escape, did you-" the sleazy reporter was cut short when a taller figure shoved him off with a violent nudge.  
  
"Go on and scram! Reporters behind the line. Can't you process that, retard? And you" the man turned to Yunho "zip that sweet lip of yours"  
  
The scruffy reporter tottered away with a vengeful look while clutching his side. Kim Heechul's peevish tongue was not to be reckoned with.  
  
"Damn those rats, they always manage to pop right out of nowhere with all the juicy details. Sometimes I wonder if they are not the real killers returning to the crime scene to sniff their deed and feel proud, you know what I mean?" Heechul shoved his hands inside his black overcoat and looked towards the other man. Yunho offered him the best look he could pull off.  
  
"You look like shit"  
  
"Thanks" Yunho replied. He was indeed looking awful but not entirely in bad shape. He had scratches on his neck and face, courtesy of a mad woman's panic, a bloody nose and knuckles red and beaten. His left hand still clutched his gun tightly.  
  
"You can store that away my friend" Heechul retorted with a smirk. Yunho almost stammered with surprise at the comment and stored the automatic in its place immediately.  
  
"So, Changmin got hit, uh?" the lanky man took out a cigarette from his pack, offered one to Yunho who refused and lit it up "Happens to everybody. Besides, his luck was running out. I don't know anybody in Homicide who lasted as long as he did. First time getting shot... hell, they'll throw him a party back at headquarters" Heechul said letting out a laugh. Yunho was still in half-daze so he let the crude remark go by without a scolding.  
  
"It was my fault. The woman was completely insane, I couldn't get rid of her in time" Yunho said. His mind was replaying the scene endlessly, trying to figure out how he could turn back time, how he could have done things differently but it was useless and he knew it. Four years working in the force had taught him that. He had tried to calm the stoned and armed female while Changmin chased the dealer up to the top floor, but he had been too late. Another accomplice was hiding in the terrace and shot Changmin several times before scampering away with the dealer and leaving the girl behind.  
  
"Two weeks of investigation down the drain..." Yunho muttered somberly.  
  
His mumbling was interrupted by one team of medics exiting the building and carrying a woman in a stretcher. Her eyes were out of focus, staring at nothing but a strange emptiness and her mouth was open, drooling out whatever contents her weak drugged body still had.  
  
"Thank God she OD'ed then. She would have scraped all the skin off your face" Heechul continued his succession of untimely comments. Yunho merely nodded his head and waited for Changmin's turn to come out. He did not have to wait long though. A few minutes later the younger man was carried out with morphine already pumping into his system to help with the pain. Yunho approached him when he noticed his partner still had his eyes open.  
  
"You did good. You'll be alright Changminnie" he said with a smile. Changmin glanced in his direction with a snarky look.  
  
"Call me hyung or get the hell out of here" he said. Yunho chuckled and ruffled his hair. The medics took Changmin into the ambulance and drove away to the hospital. The bullet in Changmin's shoulder would soon be out, Yunho thought, proving to be as harmless as the other four resting safely in his protective vest.  
  
"I'll clean the rest of the mess here. You go ahead and take care of that blood. It's starting to gross me out. Don't let it dry" Heechul said patting Yunho's shoulder. The latter nodded with his head and strolled towards the nearest police car.

* * *

  
Yunho walked into his superior's office with a fresh face and ironed attire. His back hurt a little from the number of pity dabs he had received from his co-workers and friends at the main office. Kangin in particular had given him quite a blow. Nevertheless, he was still quite presentable, quite the gentlemen. What was left of his handsome manly face was glowing the best appearance it could after the rowdy evening.  
  
"Oh, Yunho, enter enter. I've already received and read your preliminary report. You didn't expect a bad turn, I see" the old man gave a hearty laugh, however, Yunho could only feel the uneasy tingle in his bones whenever he was ashamed of himself or burdened with failure.  
  
"Don't let it get to you. Changmin will be up in no time. Never saw a kid quite like him. As for the bastards..." the Chief put out the expensive cigarette he had been smoking and leaned back on his chair "You'll get to them eventually during the next week or so. If not,  I'll simply hand the case to other officers who-"  
  
"No please, sir! I can handle it" Yunho interrupted without thinking twice "I will finish this one. I've been on this case since the beginning, since those pricks murdered those eight people, I-"  
  
"I know. I know all about it. You don't need to remind me"  
  
"Sorry sir" Yunho unclenched the fist that had unconsciously tightened itself at the sudden hypothesis. There was this thing about Jung Yunho not letting go of his cases until the end that took even himself by surprise. The images of the four teens floating in a reddened pool and other four people sprawled lifeless on the floor of a backyard were hard to wipe off his mind knowing the culprits were still out there somewhere.  
  
"Anyway" the Chief let out a heavy sigh "You're sure the criminals are connected with that drug dealer that escaped today?"  
  
"Yes. We still don't have much substantial proof aside from the two victims who relate to him and had his contact. We also assume that the stash they brought with them to that pool party was bought from him. We tried to catch him alive for questioning but, well..."  
  
"It didn't go as planned, as we all know" the chief ended his sentence gravely.  
  
"I still have other two addresses that connect to the guy. I can check them out this same day. I'll go over them right now!" Yunho said determined. The older man shook his head though.  
  
"Don't be crazy Yunho. You get some damn rest today. You can start that tomorrow or the next day if you need. You're all patched up too" the chief gestured to the bandages in Yunho's neck and face.  
  
"It's nothing, sir"  
  
"I don't care if it's nothing or not. What does it say on this office's plaque?" the man pointed towards the door "Top-brass of this damn police force I'm sure. As long as it says so you'll do as I say and right now I'm telling you to get some rest. If you're too stressed, too stuffed with anxiety inside that little head of yours you won't be able to make the right decisions. There will only be misjudgments. So take this advice and go home"  
  
Yunho took it all in silently and nodded. He got up from his chair and was about to leave when the Chief called him once more.  
  
"I'm not through with you yet. Come here"  
  
Yunho turned around and returned to his seat. The police Chief rummaged inside a drawer in his desk and took out a slim folder.  
  
"I'm sure you know Changmin will be out for at least two weeks. Bullet on the right shoulder, right? He is right-handed too. Not a good combination. I'd say one week in the hospital, one week on the practicing field with the rookies again. But who knows? Hospitals are getting good at bitching and begging for more so they may extend his stay there. It all depends on his recovery. Either way, I'm assigning you a new partner just while Changmin's situation is still indefinite"  
  
Yunho's eyes bulged "What?"  
  
"Aah, don't give me that shit. Just go with it or I'll have my own ass whipped. The people above me wouldn't forgive me for leaving one of their best cops alone, much less the press and their favoritism. Now take this and go"  
  
Yunho took the file much to his discontentment and frowned "When will I meet this new partner?"  
  
"As soon as you're ready to get back to work"  
  
"But sir-"  
  
Before Yunho could ask any further questions, the phone on Chief's desk rang and he picked it up dismissing Yunho with a wave of his hand. Yunho left the Chief's office fuming, unable to resign with the current state of affairs. He passed through the busy main office in a lonesome stampede, bidding only a couple of goodbyes on his way to the exit.  
  
Outside the night was not as cold or cruel as he wished. There was a warm breeze wheezing about and the sky was shiny and starry almost as if mocking him. He didn't have the time to enjoy the warm wind, nor did he have the disposition to look at the stars after a day like that. So much had happened; the fuckheads had escaped, the woman had overdosed, his face had almost been torn off, Changmin had been shot and now he had to make friends with a new partner. Yunho did not even want to conceive the effort that particular order would require. He entered his car and slammed the door shut as loudly and violently as he could. He punched the steering wheel once to let off some steam but it barely made a difference.  
  
"Fuck this..." he let his head rest on it and sighed. A few minutes passed by; his breath became the only sound inside the car and throughout the whole world.  
  
Yunho turned his head to the passenger seat and noticed the thin folder with his new partner's files. He reached out a hand towards it and opened it on the first page.  
  
 _Kim Jaejoong... age 27... Previous Department: Records... adress..._  
  
Yunho read the first paragraph four times. When the information finally seeped in, the head resting on the steering wheel lifted up with shock and disbelief.  
  
"Records? Records?!! You gotta be shitting me!" Changmin's bad cursing habit had surely gotten to him. Yunho closed the damned folder and drove home in a blur.  
  
It was only next morning after he had thoroughly read all about Kim Jaejoong's life from the Academy to his current post that he was able to take a good look at his picture, which had fallen under the seat of the car the previous night. Yunho picked it up, actually repressing a sneer at the thought of the twerp who would hinder his life for the next few weeks.  
  
"Bet it's some kind of geek-"  
  
It was not often that Yunho ran out of words or thoughts. He was a man who put his intellect to exercise as much as his body, but he found himself short of words for the face in the photo. For once in a long time fluttery feelings spoke first and louder than the rest.


	2. Chapter 2

The main office was already bustling with people by the time Yunho arrived. He greeted most of his co-workers and nodded shortly towards the Chief who sent him a look of approval from his desk.

"Oh, look who's already up and about" Heechul's teasing voice bloomed out of nowhere as quick and unpredictable as the day before. His ability to appear unexpectedly and with perfect timing almost rivaled his fearsome intelligence. The man was well-informed mind you.

"Oh hey"

"Good morning to you too Mr. Gloomy Bear" Heechul dropped himself in the seat in front of Yunho's desk, previously Changmin's station, and crossed his legs "I knew you wouldn't stay put at home digesting that afternoon and the meaning of life and all" he grabbed the nearest pen and began drumming a tune.

"You were right " Yunho replied slumping in his chair. He threw his car keys and his new partner's file onto the desk purposefully. He knew it wouldn't take Heechul a moment to snatch them away and prying into the matter, probably relinquishing some information about Kim Jaejoong in the process. Yunho believed he shouldn't make judgments based on other people's opinions but he was too curious to know more about the pretty face in the picture. That sure was not your typical policeman, even one assigned to Records.

While Heechul proceeded to act accordingly to his nature, a hand came to rest by Yunho's shoulders. He turned around and met Donghae's big smile.

"What's up big boy?" Yunho smiled broadly in reply and shook the other man's hand energetically "Wow, they really did your face, uh?"

"You mean she" Yunho corrected him.

"Oh, it was a lady? Hope you didn't smack her one. Gotta remain the gentlemen"

"She had a gun and long nails. I didn't get to feel gentlemanly for long"

"I can imagine-"

"Hey, hey, Donghae, I was here first. Go fetch us a couple of coffees and let me and Yunho finish our conversation here" Heechul blurted out annoyed. Donghae rolled his eyes and laughed.

"Always with the attitude" Kangin appeared behind Heechul and winked at the other two men in front of the feisty inspector "I can hear your bitching from the other side of town"

"Bite me Kangin" Heechul spat angrily. The other just laughed and shook Heechul's shoulders with his hands.

"Well, I'm out with those Traffic boys today. There's been a car accident south of town earlier and apparently the driver was already carrying a dead woman in the trunk. Creepy shit" Kangin rubbed his neck tiredly and walked away after saying goodbye. Yunho's eyes followed the retreating figure until he vanished behind the door that led to the parking lot.

"I'm loaded with duty today as well. Best of luck to you Yunho" Donghae patted his back and was gone too.

"Yeah, thanks for nothing man-flower!" Heechul grunted. Donghae turned around quickly and threw Heechul an empty water bottle he caught nearby. Heechul protected his head with Jaejoong's files and laughed aloud.

"Bastard!"

"Stop pestering Yunho and go do your work. Hangeng is probably drying out waiting for you"

Heechul shrugged his shoulders and after Donghae disappeared for good he focused again on Yunho.

"Anyway" he cleared his throat "What is this shit about a new partner? Why did they stuck you with some princess from Records? This is bull!" Heechul threw the folder over Yunho's table in disbelief.

"I don't know. I'm still baffled" Yunho replied sincerely. Despite all his faults and language Yunho appreciated Heechul's outrage. It felt like someone else understood his hardships since Changmin had been shot.

"Moreover, this..." Heechul reached towards the folder once again "Kim Jaejoong? Have you seen the look of this brat-?"

"He's 27"

"Still younger than me" he stressed "Anyway, look at this guy! Can we even call him a guy? Look at that face! And they say I'm girly"

"You have your moments" Yunho retorted amused. Heechul sent him a glare.

"Shut it"

"Where do I find him? You think he is down in some Records section?"

"If he was notified he should have been here hours ago reporting for his new duty. But, I don't know. I heard some strange stories about these Records guys. They are all weird. You should go down and check them out yourself. Maybe he's there"

Yunho collected his things and stood up "Thanks Heechul. I'll be going then"

"Watch out for those nerds and please report to me later. I want to know everything" Heechul mocked.

"Even if I told you jack you only needed to pull a few strings to write a book about my meeting" Yunho said with a smile. Heechul smirked and tapped the table with the pen he was holding.

"To each their own. I'm working my way to the top my friend"

"Be careful with that"

"I always am"

* * *

 

Yunho took a lift to the underground floors of the department and stepped out last after the other officers stuffing the small elevator walked out. The Records were a fairly decent part of the building compared to the confusion and mess of Homicide's main office on the second floor. Records was a paradise for clean freaks. Everything was sparkling clean and organized. If you peeked inside one of the many archive rooms you could see infinite stacks of folders and boxes impeccably disposed, almost geometrically. Yunho strolled down the long hallway until he found two secretaries behind a glass pane, each one perusing files on their desks. He approached them and knocked softly on the glass.

"Good morning, sorry to interrupt" he greeted apologetically and the two women turned their heads towards him "I'm looking for a colleague of yours. Could you tell me where he might possibly be? I'm from-"

"Homicide. Inspector Jung Yunho" One of them finished his sentence so quickly it startled him. Both women had a slight blush tinting their cheeks. Yunho knew he was known to a certain extent in the force, but his popularity among the female staff was a constant surprise. He glanced at his reflection in the glass pane and grimaced mentally. He was definitely not looking his best. One of the women stood up and walked up to him after whispering to her colleague.

"I'm Choi Sooyoung. It's a pleasure to meet you sir. How can I help you?" She put on a dazzling smile and Yunho could do nothing but return it.

"I'm looking for a Kim Jaejoong. I'm supposed to meet him today. You know where he is?"

"Oh certainly!" Sooyoung replied. She walked out of the glass paned office and gestured Yunho to follow her "See the end of this corridor? First on the left and then first door on the right. That's their section. He arrived ten minutes ago"

Yunho thanked her and took one step back when the other secretary left her desk in a hurry and joined them with a giggle, phone in hand.

"I'm sorry Yunho-sshi, but do you mind if we take a picture? We're big fans of you down here, the other girls would be so jealous, pretty please?" the other girl, whose name 'Tiffany' shone on the small nameplate on her chest, pleaded cutely. Yunho tried to dissuade her but failed.

"Maybe some other day. My face is a wreck I-"

"Oh no, please. We don't mind"

The two girls squished him from both sides and before he knew it their picture was taken, twice. The girls thanked him with a slight bow and resumed their places behind the glass pane giggling happily. Yunho was left speechless but he ignored the whole ordeal deciding it was better to move on to his more pressing problem.

He didn't bother to knock on the door. He entered confidently, determined to get over with the introductions as soon as possible and leave the damn Records department for life.

"Hello?" Yunho's voice met absolute silence. The archives around him eyed him suspiciously as if they knew he did not belong there. Apart from the stacks of paper and shelved folders, the room consisted of three small desks. Two impeccably neat and tidy and another one messy with random papers scattered about and a laptop showing a flashy screen saver. There were dolphins swimming across the screen. At the left corner of the room was a door. Yunho's first thought was to peer inside but a loud squeal followed by laughter made him apprehensive. Two figures walked out of the unknown room clutching their bellies while laughing.

"That was the best, the best!" one of them said rubbing his watery eyes.

"I know! Did you see his face!? Eun kyang kyang!" the other sat on his chair behind the messy desk and let his head rest on the surface of the table. Neither men seemed to have noticed Yunho standing there looking lost.

"I'll fucking kill you two! This is not the time to be joking about these-" Another voice joined the laughter in the office. It was angry and unusual. Soft but hoarse, holding in a laughter of its own. Yunho did not have time to analyze it further since it fell to an absolute silence as soon as its owner stepped inside the room and noticed his tall figure standing there. When the other two men noticed their friend's silence the laughter ended abruptly and at once all eyes were focused on Yunho.

"Hello" the four of them said at precisely the same time. It was weird and awkward and creepy and if not for another dolphin-like squeal from one of them, Yunho would have dug a hole in the ground. He kept his cool and smiled uncomfortably. His good-nature did not allow him otherwise. One of the men stood up to greet him.

"Hello, sorry for the hysterics. Our Junsu's laugh can be rather contagious" the man said grinning "I'm Park Yoochun" he bowed slightly and so did Yunho. If he thought he couldn't be more surprised that day he was completely wrong though. Yunho let an inaudible gasp escape his mouth when he lowered his head and noticed the flip flops on the guy's feet. Were these people even serious about their job?

"This is Kim Junsu and another Kim right here" Yoochun turned from the happy guy sitting on the desk to the brunette frozen in his spot "Kim Jae-"

"Kim Jaejoong, right?"

Both Yoochun and Junsu turned to look at Yunho gravely when he finished the sentence. Jaejoong didn't utter a syllable. His brain was thinking too much and too fast for him to be able to say anything comprehensible.

"Oh shit" Yoochun let a curse escape his lips when he finally understood what Yunho's presence meant. At least that's what Yunho thought and hoped. If so he would be spared a couple of awkward explanations.

Yoochun swiveled in his chair excitedly "Don't tell me, you're from Homicide?"

"Yeah"

"Shit, we weren't expecting you so soon!" Yoochun grumbled "Oi, Junsu give me that stack of papers over there, quick"

Junsu glanced at a pile of files next to his laptop "You come get them. What do you want them for?"

"Stop complaining and pass me those, come on! Let me put them under Jae's name or else we'll have to take care of it all when he leaves!"

It was at that moment that Jaejoong finally started moving. He slapped the back of Yoochun's head and grabbed the jacket hanging in the back of his chair.

"Don't you even dare" he muttered to Yoochun and then he turned to Yunho, those big eyes staring right into his own "I know why you're here and I'm sorry I didn't show up at Homicide today. Is he back already? I thought he was taking a break after his partner got shot. That's what you guys told me yesterday"

Yunho looked at him perplexed. He was wondering in what world could the person before his eyes be living. Was he confusing him with somebody? Did he not recognize Jung Yunho right before his eyes?

"Jaejoong hyung sent the application just last week and another guy from Homicide told us yesterday they would only call him up next week" Junsu said in defense of his buddy.

Jaejoong's stare was still glued to Yunho's face looking for some kind of forgiveness or understanding. Yunho, however, was stunned with how little importance he seemed to have in the present office where no one seemed to recognize him. Maybe it was because of his bandaged neck and cheek?

"Guys, guys, GUYS" Yoochun suddenly exclaimed. Jaejoong and Junsu turned around to find his face covered with dismay "Guys, I think that's him"

"Him who?" Junsu's question was like an echo. Yunho wanted to bang his head against the wall or simply evaporate.

"Him as in Jung Yunho, dudes"

"What!?!" Junsu turned his head so fast to look at the famous Homicide cop that he twisted his neck badly. Yoochun broke into a fit of laugher and went up to his friend to see if he could help. Meanwhile, Jaejoong turned a dozen different shades of white and tried to focus his intense gaze on Yunho.

"What? Why? You came to get me? Why did you- I mean, well, I am Kim Jaejoong nice to meet you. I guess I'll be your partner from now on. You want something? Coffee, water, tea, anything?" Jaejoong rambled away and looked anywhere for salvation.

"No thanks. You can pick up your things and come along. I have a busy day today" Yunho bowed towards the other two dorks and exited the room with Jaejoong trailing behind him.

* * *

 

They found themselves side by side in front of the lift to the upper floors. Yunho didn't really know what to say. He knew how to be nice but not to this man who seemed so out of it. Perhaps it were the remains of his frustration towards his poor unexperienced résumé that held him back. He didn't really know. Every time he tried to take a look at Jaejoong the other seemed to mimic his actions. It was unbearably awkward. Yunho began to despair, thinking nothing could ever be done about this awful uneasiness. Changmin had been so easy to deal with. He was polite, always on time, always ready, self-conscious and quite the joker. As for this Kim Jaejoong, what could be said of him? Yunho barely knew him and he didn't have any will to do so given their circumstances.

The lift finally descended and slid open its doors. Yunho entered first, followed by Jaejoong and soon the doors closed leaving the two of them alone in a terrible silence. Yunho could see Jaejoong's absentminded stare reflected in the mirror. He wondered what he could be thinking about and what those huge eyes of his could be looking at. The guy was so peculiar.

Amidst Yunho's thinking Jaejoong broke free of his trance. There was a faint disappointment in the look he gave Yunho.

"What?" he asked defensively.

"I thought you were handsomer" Jaejoong said nonchalantly.

Yunho burst out laughing at the random observation and clutched the bandaged part of his neck that had begun to throb with the sudden excitement. Jaejoong merely looked at him perplexed.

"Sorry if I offended you" he replied even graver making Yunho laugh harder.

"What? What? I don't see how this is funny. You like being called ugly?" Jaejoong snapped slightly riled up.

"No, no" Yunho's laugher subsided and he let a hand fall on Jaejoong's shoulder to calm him down. The man's gaze almost pierced Yunho's hand right then. He grabbed it and instead of shoving it away like Yunho suspected he would do, he held it in his examining it. Yunho's smile faded away at the bold contact though Jaejoong remained completely at ease like it was the most natural thing in the world. Yunho could not fathom why, but at once he became painfully aware of the appalling bruises and cuts he had all over his hands and reddening his knuckles. Jaejoong let his fingers trace the bruises in wonder and Yunho was forced to blurt out what was on his mind given his momentary lack of reason.

"Regretting your application for Homicide?"

"No. I was just noticing how beautiful your hands are. It's a shame you have to handle a gun, don't you think?"

At that very instant the lift doors opened to the second floor. Jaejoong dropped the elegant hand calmly and moved out of the elevator leaving Yunho agape with a reply stuck in his throat.


	3. Chapter 3

Yunho looked upon his and Jaejoong's soon-to-be work desks with dread. The eruption of self-consciousness Jaejoong's presence induced in him was quite alarming. The sight before him did not remotely relate to the one he had previously assessed that day, when Heehcul was still spinning on the swivel chair in a childish fashion and Donghae and Kangin strutted by indifferent to the general disorder. Stacks of paper and open folders covered almost the entire surface of the two desks set in front of each other. Pens and markers were scattered about or hidden behind some document. The yellow patches of post-its were like puddles of water after rain. Notes and scribbles smeared pages of law books and medical reports; there was even a loaded cartridge next to an empty cup of coffee, probably deliberately forgotten by Heechul, the resident litterbug. Overall the whole area was a disaster and it would have won the competition for best example of the Homicide department if there had been one.

Now that he thought about it, not even Yunho would have liked to work there. It was something shameful to admit but he didn't spend much time there anyway. Most of his days were a rush in and out of the building. Driving here and there after witnesses, evidence and of course the bad guys. His work desk was merely a safe point, a place where he could pile everything up and have a nice momentary rest along with a warm cup of coffee. Changmin was pretty much alike and though more organized and tidy than Yunho, he would dismiss such frivolities in favor of a rash car chase. Yunho shot a tense look at his new partner. The disgusted look all over Jaejoong's face was hilarious but he managed to hide it well under the massive layers of indifference etched on his skin. He did not only come across as someone very weird but also quite cold. Yunho sighed.

"Well, this is our little piece of heaven" he said brimming with sarcasm "You'll use Changmin's old desk" Yunho pointed to the table in front of him "It's messy, I know, but we can take care of that later. I'll ask someone to clear his things and store them somewhere while he doesn't give us his own orders."

Jaejoong nodded silently. He walked over to his desk and sat in the swivel chair facing Yunho and the long stretch of chaos.

"You can bring your stuff anytime. I assume they already sent you the files of our current case?" Yunho asked, sitting down in his own chair.

"Sure. I've read them several times already. The grammar is terrible and the handwritten hangul... I would rather not comment on that. Chun and I already discussed everything there was to discuss about it. It's like you guys up here don't even know how to grab a pen, really, take this for example" Jaejoong picked up a random sheet covered with scribbles and waved it in the air indignantly. He rambled on and Yunho was far more amazed at the man's narration than angry at his peevish criticisms.

"...just look at these strokes here. What were you trying to do? Rip the poor little piece of paper apart? I've seen seven year olds write better. And this, dear God, what the hell... I think I need a smoke. Can I?" Jaejoong reached the inside of his jacket for his pack of cigarettes.

"Sure, go ahead" Yunho replied. He was too stunned to remember the no-smoking policy they had implemented last month to help dissipate the toxic mist that had been lingering in the office for almost two years.

"... and that's why we decided to stop analyzing the testimonies and move on to the biopsy reports. Those are a hundred times more tolerable to read and even if there is a vomit of medical jargon everywhere at least it's well written and I don't have to lose my faith the in the medical institutions and colleges. They know their stuff. Anyway, about the case, yeah I have a pretty good idea about what's going on-"

"When you say 'we' do you mean you and your co-workers down there? This case was only assigned to you, don't you think you're breaching some kind of rules here if you go around shoving it in your friends' faces?" the bitter remarks left Yunho's mouth before he could stop them and he felt the skin in his knuckles burn right where Jaejoong had traced them with his fingers.

"Save yourself the resentment" Jaejoong lit his cigarette and took a drag "It's not my fault you're all awful writers up here. More muscle than brains. I get it. No biggie though, as long as you keep the perps inside those cells it's fine with me"

"Why did you come join the dumb meatheads then? I would rather not have a wimpy nitpick from Records dragging me down either" Yunho spat fiercely. His pent up frustration was reemerging quickly yet Jaejoong blew out a cloud of smoke calmly and smiled.

"Drag you down? We'll see about that. It seems to me you and your partner are the ones dragging your case down" Jaejoong shifted his gaze from Yunho to the messy desk "Just look at this. Not two months' salary would pay me enough to sort it out. How do you suppose I'll-"

"Ok. Ok. Ok. I get it. It's terrible. We suck at cleaning things up. So what? We still get shit done"

"That's what I was saying, you just turned the conversation around"

Yunho's frown disappeared with a loud laugh.

"I did? You're the one who fled my question. Why go around making fun of our shitty writing when you should be concentrating on the content? There are eight people dead and the culprit is still out there, who knows, maybe pondering on his next slaughter"

"But from what I read, this "primary suspect" is a drug dealer. Why would he go around turning pool parties into bloodbaths?" Jaejoong wondered aloud.

"He may not have pulled the trigger but he was there. At first we thought it was a group of criminals who did it. A bunch of angry teenagers that just simply like to cause ruckus and get their hands on any kind of drugs available, be the party private or not. But we found some photos of the dealer at that party in two of the victims' cellphones. He must have ran away from the scene after striking a few deals and having the deed done. "

"No security camera footage?"

"Nothing unfortunately. He wiped out the tapes before leaving" Yunho said with disappointment.

"So he had time to wipe them out after that brutal slaughter?" Jaejoong exhaled another whiff of smoke and looked up in thought "It said in the report that the weapon used had a suppressor. Even if the shots didn't make enough noise to alarm the neighbors, the victims must have screamed in terror as the others got shot. So the neighbors must have definitely heard those screams"

"Correct" Yunho nodded.

"My guess is, it was not the work of one person only"

"Correct again"

"But it seems you and your partner reached that conclusion a little too late"

Yunho's head fell down instantly remembering the incident of that disastrous day. How foolish they had been.

"Yes. When we stormed inside the dealer's apartment we saw the girl and we thought she could have been his accomplice. I stayed behind to arrest her. She had a gun... and hideous nails" Yunho pointed to his wounds with a sad smile "Changmin went after the guy and then the real accomplice showed up. I never saw his face, the girl was all over me before she overdosed. When I reached Changmin the two men were nowhere to be seen. A complete failure" Yunho closed his eyes and pressed them to relieve some tension; to relieve some guilt, but it didn't go anywhere.

"Not entirely" Jaejoong suddenly said. Yunho opened his eyes and looked at him earnestly.

"How so?"

"The girl. She is still alive, right?"

"Yeah, I think so. She is in the hospital recovering. She overdosed real bad"

"When can we go talk to her?" Jaejoong asked eagerly.

"I don't know. I guess I'll make a few calls. It's all been a blur since yesterday to tell you the truth. Haven't had time for anything, not even visiting Changmin" Yunho mumbled the last part sadly.

"Why don't you go visit him today? I'll stay here and see what I can do about this" Jaejoong put out his cigarette and motioned his head towards the cluster of papers and folders. A huge smile threatened to take over Yunho's face at the proposition but he felt bad leaving poor newbie Jaejoong alone with his mess.

"No, no. I should be here to help you. I mean, I was the one who-"

"It's okay. I've been in Records for two years, I know my way around these things" he said with a smug look. Yunho found his attitude somewhat dazzling. Perhaps he was too desperate to get rid of the mess.

Their conversation was interrupted by a loud ring. The telephone on Yunho's desk rang one two three times, and the two cops just looked at it for a while before Yunho finally answered it.

"Yes? Yunho-sshi? There's a call for you on line two. It's Inspector Kangin" a female voice said. Yunho nodded and pressed button two.

"Hello? Hyung? Yeah. No, I'm free at the moment. Yes, I was going after two other addresses but something came up" Yunho glanced at Jaejoong amidst his explanation "Right now? South of Han River? Just give me the name of the street" Yunho noted down the words on the nearest paper, which made Jaejoong roll his eyes exasperatedly, and nodded with his head.

"Ok. 'be right there. Right. See ya"

Yunho put down the phone with a clank and swirled out of his chair in an instant. Jaejoong looked at him eye-opened waiting for instructions.

"We are postponing our plans. There's a suspicious driver and a dead girl asking our expertise" Yunho straightened his jacket and took out his car keys "Let's go Jae- Jaejoong... aish" he stopped abruptly "What do I call you? You're my age right? What should we-"

"Just Jaejoong is fine" Jaejoong replied. He walked over to Yunho unexpectedly, almost giving the latter a cold sweat, and grabbed the scribble he had made.

"Are you forgetting your awful writing on purpose or are you just naturally forgetful?" He asked not even a meter away from Yunho.

"I tend to forget things... yeah" Yunho babbled.

"I noticed. You forgot your own introduction half an hour ago" Jaejoong said with a sham dejected look "What do I call you?"

Yunho's automatic reaction to the brunette's teasing were two severe bows. He was hardly aware the shorter man was just tauting him, but Yunho was gullible enough in such matters to fall on the trap. The entire force knew it and mocked him.

"I'm so so sorry. I didn't notice it. I'm-"

"Hahaha" Jaejoong's hearty laughter was loud and warm "I'm just joking with you Yunho-sshi. You're easy to tease"

Yunho laughed along "Don't be in a rush to know all about me Jaejoong-ah"

"You're easy to see through Yunho-sshi"

And you're not, was Yunho's last thought before the two left the office.

 

* * *

 

The drive to the crash site was more comfortable than Yunho expected. Jaejoong turned out to be a great expert at small talk, though his views on any subject stretched a bit too far. He had much to say about everything. He was like a massive retainer of opinions and the slightest brush on the lid sent them all flying out.

"... that's why they always shoot the feet. Clever fellows right? It's like shooting the tires of a car. Can't move, can't run. They do it a lot in movies"

"And they do it a lot in real life too" Yunho replied while stopping on a red-light "You'd be surprised" he added turning to Jaejoong.

"Oh really? You need a good aim for that"

"I have plenty of confidence in mine" Yunho grinned.

"We must test it then"

"Is that a challenge?"

"Sure, why not? I'll show you my skills" Jaejoong said assured. Yunho snorted.

"You practice a lot on those file boxes uh?"

The comment earned Yunho a slap in the arm.

"No need to be a dick" Jaejoong uttered displeased.

"Couldn't help it" Yunho replied again with a chuckle and drove on as soon as the green light switched on.

"Anyway, are you game or not? Tonight at the shooting range?" Jaejoong prompted Yunho while reaching for a cigarette. Yunho agreed with a satisfied smile.

 

* * *

 

At the car crash site awaited them cops, bystanders and reporters. The first person to come greet them was a young policemen from Traffic whom Yunho was acquainted with. A friend of Changmin's.

"Yunho-sshi! This way, this way" Lee Jinki called quickly from a distance. Yunho and Jaejoong jostled towards the young officer and once behind the police line they managed to walk more freely.

"I'm glad you came Yunho-sshi. Just in time. They are bagging the corpse now" Jinki then noticed Jaejoong and looked at Yunho with a smirk "Changmin's shot and they partner you with a rookie the day after?"

Jaejoong's quiet expression cracked with a twitch of his eyebrow.

"It was out of my hands" Yunho replied calmly. Jinki just laughed.

"Anyway, you're looking for Kangin-sshi, right? He's over there by the ambulance. They are taking the driver to the hospital. Third degree burns I think"

"He's not dead?" Jaejoong asked.

"N-no" the traffic officer turned towards him apprehensively "The guy must have discovered the explosives or something and jumped out before the car exploded. We found him on the road toasted"

"Oh, I see. What about the girl?"

"I haven't seen her. I don't think I have stomach enough after seeing the guy..." Jinki said before disappearing after a sneaky reporter. Yunho watched him trod away and simpered at Jaejoong.

"He's just a kid. You'll look like you're trying too hard"

"Shut up"

"Defending your honor, are you?"

"Shut up" Jaejoong hissed. He turned his back and walked towards the ambulance leaving Yunho behind with his chuckles.

"Hey! Yunho! Finally man! Been waiting for ages-" Kangin rushed towards the bickering pair and almost choked when he saw Jaejoong "AAH! No way! Whatcha doin' here Filing Queen?"

"I file things armed now so I advise you to stop with the jokes" Jaejoong told the amused inspector grimly.

"Uuuh. You're pretty menacing out of your cave, uh?"

Yunho joined the conversation once he stopped beside Jaejoong's figure. Kangin gasped.

"Don't tell me...? He's your new partner?" Kangin cried astonished "No way, man!"

Yunho didn't know what to do but smile. The situation was quite intriguing and he wondered how Kangin and Jaejoong knew each other. His internal question didn't take long to be answered.

"It's been a while Jaejoongie"

"Please don't call me that"

"Aish, still quite serious I see. You wouldn't believe this Yunho, they sent me this guy from Records two months ago to sort out my paperwork. He is quite efficient with files and shit, but I wouldn't bet his ass on the streets-"

"I'm still here!"

"Hahaha, just joking Jaejoongie. But I'm shocked you applied for Homicide. Wanted a change of air? Sick of the stuffy smell down there, with the nerdy friends jacking off behind the shelves, right?"

Jaejoong was about to lose his temper and punch Kangin in the face when Yunho stopped him and grabbed his shoulder.

"Anyway. You called me here for a reason" Yunho cleared his throat and tried to converge the attention of the other men towards him "You said you found something pertaining to my case, what was it?"

Kangin immediately dropped his witty manners and pointed towards the man being taken inside the ambulance.

"Found something very curious in the driver's pocket" Kangin said "Two bags of heroin. You'll recognize the wrapping" he said with a wink "And, if it's not evidence enough, we found a number of fishy phone calls in his cell. The tech dudes already traced it"

Yunho had disbelief plastered all over his face.

"It matches your dealer" Kangin stated.

"Why did you decide to cross-reference with our case?" Jaejoong's sudden question surprised the other two men. Yunho was so ecstatic with the news that he didn't have time to think it through.

"The heroin was my first hint but after Changmin was shot by that bastard yesterday, all of us on the force decided to stay on our toes and monitor any criminal ass trying to flee the city" Kangin explained "When a cop is hit, it's like all of us are hit. No bastard gets away with it. So, we told the traffic boys to be on the look out, especially at the roads that exited the city. When they dispatched me the accident this morning and I found the stash of heroin I told them to cross-reference the calls just for the sake of it. I wasn't completely sure, but I might as well do it and boy, I don't regret it a bit!"

Yunho extended a hand to Kangin and they shook hands.

"Thanks"

"Even if there had been no match I'd do it again and again until we found the sucker" Kangin said proudly. Yunho smiled at him.

"I'll tell Changmin when I visit him"

"You better!" Kangin said with a laugh "Anyway, you want to see the girl, uh?"

"Yes. I still don't understand how she fits this story" Yunho replied.

The three men walked towards a black bag near the forensics van.

"They already bagged her, but we can probably zip it open"

"Go ask them first" Jaejoong spat at Kangin. The older inspector sighed and walked away in search of a forensic supervisor.

A silence ensued as soon as the loud mouth vanished. Yunho and Jaejoong were both staring at the bag with the burnt corpse of the girl while thinking of what to say. Yunho was the first to break the quietness.

"What do you think of it?"

"The odds of the driver being the killer are the same odds of him stealing the car with the girl already rotting away inside"

"You're very creative I'll give you that"

Jaejoong replied Yunho with a smile.

"If there's anything left of the car's number plate we'll ponder on your second option. For now let's stick with the first"

Jaejoong's smile didn't waver a bit until Kangin arrived with a forensic guy.

"Hello. I'm Kim Kibum, forensics assistant supervisor, how may I help you?"

"We wanted to take a look at the girl" Yunho told him.

"Well, you won't be able to recognize a face. There's not much left that isn't burnt"

"Unless the autopsy report is out this evening I don't think I'm leaving without a peek" was Yunho's last statement.

The forensic guy frowned and was obliged to zip open the bag. He had been right. The girl was terribly burnt. What was left of her skin was red and crust-like. Her features were not recognizable, yet her skull seemed intact which meant they could check her dental records. It was at that time that Yunho remembered Jaejoong was still there looking upon all that gore and he felt the need to cover it up.

"Ok, thanks. You can zip it up now" Yunho ordered. Jaejoong was facing the black bag, very calm. No gag reactions, no flinch.

"Are you ok?" Yunho asked out of politeness. Jaejoong gave a him a shrug.

"I've been filing cases for years. I've seen worse pictures"

"But not the real deal"

Jaejoong paused.

"Yes, not the real deal"

* * *

  
After assessing the rest of the crime scene Yunho and Jaejoong left once again to the main office. Yunho had thought about stopping midway to grab a bite to eat but taking into account what they had just seen it would probably sound freakish or unsuitable and Yunho didn't want that. The last thing he needed was to fall into awkwardness with his new partner again.

"Think they'll hand over the car crash case to us?" Jaejoong asked a few blocks away from their destination.

"Yeah. I don't see why they wouldn't given all the evidence"

"Then we just have to wait for the biopsy reports on the girl and hope the man doesn't die the next few days in his hospital bed, right?"

"Right. His testimony would be substantial in our case. I hope he regains conscience as soon as possible"

"So we're waiting" Jaejoong concluded, slouching in his seat. Yunho's lips curled into a smile.

"You wish!" he bantered "Once they get over the bureaucracy and the case is officially ours we have to track the car's number plate and see if it matches the driver's register, then we have to find out where the hell he came from and try to find the girl's crime scene-"

"If she was murdered" Jaejoong interrupted keenly.

"I'm sorry Jaejoong-ah, but this one is a given" Yunho said. His smug and superior air threatening to surface.

"Well, it wouldn't be the first time someone has an heart attack and they just thrust her into the car-trunk" Jaejoong replied seriously. Yunho took his eyes off the road for a moment to look at Jaejoong.

"You've actually come across a case like that?"

"No, it happened in that American movie"

Yunho grinned and fought the urge to pinch the dork.

A few minutes later they arrived at the police station. Jaejoong got out of the car and stopped in his tracks when he noticed Yunho remained inside.

"Are you parking it inside?" he asked a little confused.

"No. I'm going to stop by the hospital and see how Changmin is doing. I'll be back in time for our challenge, don't worry"

To Yunho's amazement, Jaejoong pouted. He tried not to give it much thought but it was a pout way too cute to ignore.

"Abandoning your new partner already, uh?"

Yunho laughed off the accusation and apologized.

"Yah!! You're using me to get rid of that obnoxious mess in the office, aren't you Yunho-sshi?!" Jaejoong exclaimed outraged while latching to the car door.

"No, but you'd be a great help. I can see your potential" Yunho smirked.

"Oh, you're teasing now? Not fair Yunho-sshi. I've already proclaimed myself as the teaser in this... partnership" the last word took longer than it should to leave Jaejoong's mouth. Yunho noticed it too but he neglected any meaning whatsoever.

"We'll see about that-"

"How about the winner of our shooting challenge gets the official title?"

"It's a deal then" Yunho agreed happily. Jaejoong loosened his grip on the door and stepped back.

"Shooting range. Ten o'clock. I'd recommend a light dinner"

"Jaejoong-ah this is not a teasing competition!"

"Later!"

"Bye!"

Yunho stepped on the accelerator and drove off to the hospital in a good mood.


	4. Chapter 4

Yunho pulled by a side street of the hospital and entered the large complex of buildings discreetly. After asking for Changmin's room number at the entrance he stepped into one of the lifts and made his way up to the third floor. He was glad he didn't catch any fellow officers around. It had been a day since the raid on the dealer's apartment yet Yunho knew most of his colleagues were already busy gossiping about his and Changmin's screw up and, most importantly, about his new partner. Heechul would certainly take care of having the word spread on that one even if only for the entertainment.

The whole affair didn't affect Yunho as much as the nosy cops might have wanted though. Most of them yapped their mouths regardless of any consequence, merely for the sake of getting their minds off work. However it started irking Yunho that his reputation could be thrown around so carelessly, moreover Changmin's and Jaejoong's. He had barely started to know the latter but he had a feeling the shorter man was quite a decent guy and he refused to have mindless gossip ruin their recent bonding.

The lift doors opened softly and Yunho exited along with two nurses. One of them glanced at him suspiciously while the other simply smiled before speaking.

"Don't think too hard or you'll carve a definite frown on your manly face Yunho-sshi" the youngest teased.

"Oh, hello. Sorry I didn't notice-" Yunho bowed to greet them but the other nurse didn't seem so happy to see him.

"Yah, Yunho-sshi, it takes your friend a bullet through the shoulder for you to turn up and say a few nice things to us?" the grumpy nurse said indignantly. The other nudged her on the shoulder and apologized.

"You shouldn't mind her much. She's still deluded you'll hook her up with one of your colleagues at the station"

"Shut up, it wouldn't take him that much, would it? We could even go double dating, me and my police stud and you and Ara-sshi"

Yunho's wandering mind of late was forced to focus on the harmless chit-chat. He had completely forgotten the young nurse who he was supposedly seeing, though nothing official had ever been confirmed by either party. He had only interacted with the nurse during his last stay at the hospital, which had created quite a fuss at the time (the hospital staff had a knack for rumors as much as the idiots of the Police Department) and made Yunho very much indebted to Go Ara for her kind and warming presence during his days stuck in a bed lonely and in pain. Nonetheless, the girl had easily slipped off his mind amidst the work and investigations that followed.

"So, what do you say Yunho-sshi?"

"Well, I haven't talked with Ara-sshi lately but I would be happy to see her. Is she assigned as Changmin's nurse?" Yunho asked out of politeness.

"Oh no, she is in ICU this month. They made some budget cuts and she was moved along with six other nurses"

"But no one will ever replace that sweet girl"

"Yeah, she was a charming thing really"

"I hope things go well for her" he replied.

"Definitely"

"Have a good day Yunho-sshi"

"You too"

The nurses bowed shortly and cut a corner towards their designated wards. Yunho strode along to an opposite narrow corridor while peeking at the plates next to the various doors on either side. The hospital stench got to his nerves in a sick way and it made all the healed broken bones and old injuries in his body come alive again and twitch beneath his skin. The most recent scratches and bruises on his neck pulsated viciously.

A loud greeting signaled the room he was looking for. A young face beaming with a cheery grin stuck out of a door and called his name.

"Finally the man is here! Hyung! Here, here!"

Yunho turned around and met Choi Minho, another one of Changmin's friends from the Academy who was presently working with Traffic. He was a lively guy, positive and the perfect company for a moody Changmin. Yunho's ability to predict his old partner's humor was not without precision.

"Thought you had forgotten him for good!" Minho joked lightly reaching out a hand to shake Yunho's. The latter accepted it.

"Never" Yunho answered with a smirk. He entered the room and breathed a sigh of relief as he laid eyes upon his friend. He was glad he seemed alright, almost normal. A certain distaste at the current situation seeped out of his every pore and his mismatched eyes only aggravated the overall look. Yunho had difficulty hiding his amusement.

"Yah, Changminnie, how have you been?"

"Really hyung, is that the first thing you've chosen to ask me after a bullet ripped through my shoulder? I don't know why I expected any better. How do you think I'm feeling?" Changmin rudeness flowed out of his mouth in a rampage yet Yunho could only thank the heavens for it.

"Is he high on meds?" He asked Minho half-seriously.

"No, if he was he would be sleeping like a dog"

"But I thought he did that already"

"Hahaha!!"

Yunho and Minho broke in a fit of laugher. Changmin wasn't pleased.

"Watch it, you two! I still have a very skilled left arm" he threated shifting on his bed.

"And that makes me very glad. I wished you had spared yourself the right one too" Yunho told him.

"There's a first time for everything in this job" Minho interposed.

"It's not like I could spare it, isn't it hyung? The guy came out of nowhere"

"There's nothing I regret more than not being there for you-"

"Yah, I don't want you and your melodrama ruining my day. We did the best we could under the circumstances. Let's not dwell on it. The past is the past. All I'm interested in now is getting out of this bed and having my good aim back" Changmin cut Yunho before he could torment himself any further. It seemed the youngster was not up for a pep talk or any kind of talk regarding the damned occurrence.

"But first you need rest" Yunho checked Changmin's file that was dangling at the feet of his bed. He skimmed through the first few pages and squinted his eyes trying to understand what little writing was legible.

"You still have a few exams scheduled?"

"Yeah, they are trying to move me up the list but it's full with high priority patients. The whole of Seoul decided to rot the moment they stitched me to this bed"

"Karma" Minho muttered.

"Shut it, you! Don't you have to be somewhere?"

"Indeed. I asked Jinki to cover for me this morning. I heard there was a major accident south of the Han river. I should probably go"

"Yeah, I was there" Yunho nodded. The two younger guys looked at him surprised "I spoke with Jinki when I arrived, Kangin took the case but he won't hold it for long"

Yunho sent a meaningful look towards Changmin.

"I can't believe it! It was our guy driving or something?" Changmin sputtered perplexed.

"No it wasn't. But maybe someone from his group or gang"

"Is he dead?"

"He has third degree burns, I guess a few broken ribs and bones, but I don't know anything else. I'll check on him tomorrow morning if I have the time. There was also a dead girl inside the trunk before the crash. You can imagine the swarm of work expecting me"

"Holy shit!" Minho cursed and before they knew it he had stormed out of the hospital room with two short bows and a barely audible goodbye. A short silence ensued and he was gone, his running footsteps down the hospital corridor dissipating in the distance.

"I can't believe it! And me here! Glued to a hospital bed! Useless!" Changmin leaned back in frustration landing his injured shoulder roughly on the mattress. It earned him a painful groan "Shit!"

"Careful Changminnie" Yunho helped Changmin find a stable sitting position and resumed brushing away the other's worries "You'll heal up in no time. I can take care of these matters until you comeback. Besides, you must focus on resting and getting that arm back in shape with rehab"

"I know hyung, but the feeling of powerlessness is eating my insides and waiting is the worst part. Worst than the pain in my shoulder when the meds stop working. I wish I could help in some way" Changmin's left hand curled up in a tight fist dragging the bedsheets along with it.

"You can start by getting better and not stress about this. Sometimes I think you're more of a workaholic than me. This break will do you good"

"Won't do any good to the eight wait- nine helpless victims now. I could be doing something!"

"Don't be so conceited. You think you're a big hero now?" Yunho teased him light-heartedly but Changmin didn't lag and took over the conversation. From all of Yunho's acquaintances in Seoul, far from his home, Changmin was the one who knew him best.

"I don't. Do you, hyung?"

"Never" Yunho replied honestly "I never save enough people. You know that"

"Yeah"

Another silence fell down on them. Calm and liberating.

"By the way, they've already told me-" Changmin opened his mouth after regaining some strength but Yunho foresaw what was to come.

"Oh, I know what you're gonna say, in fact, I know who you want to talk about" Yunho said impatiently "But before that, really, how many people have already come to visit you before me?" he looked at the flowers and food baskets lying beside Changmin's bed in a side table, most of them wrapped in lace and looking exquisite "Earlier today I saw Heechul, Donghae and Kangin. All of them had work to do, and I guess their partners too, so-"

"Heechul hyung popped in just before Minho. Kyuhyun too. He came this morning with my mom. They met down at the lobby first thing before the start of visiting hours"

"Oh I see. That explains where all the food and gifts sprung from"

"They spoil me just enough"

"I'm sorry I didn't bring anything. Maybe tomorrow"

"Can I make requests?"

"Don't push it!"

"Ok, ok, just kidding" Changmin said with a smirk "So, what about my substitute?"

"I met him today. Kim Jaejoong. He is a strange thing they fished from Records. I picked him up in the morning"

"Does he by any chance know a Kim Junsu?" Changmin inquired curiously. Yunho blinked twice at the sudden question though he didn't have to rack his brain to remember.

"Yeah, I think that was the name of one of this co-workers. They were all very queer"

"Yeah, I know them. We played soccer together in high school and later at the Academy. But I don't know this Kim Jaejoong" Changmin explained "Is he older?"

"Same age as me but he doesn't look like it. He's an alien really"

"You're piking my interest" the youngster's mismatched eyes twinkled mischievously.

"He is interesting. I almost think I'm having fun with him around" Yunho admitted thinking back on his afternoon with the eccentric brunette.

"Oh, now I suddenly became boring?"

"You're edgy Changminnie and, as I said previously, too much of a workaholic. I don't know how we survived so long without working ourselves to exhaustion"

"If anything, this dumb bullet must be the first sign of exhaustion. I can't stop thinking how stupid I was. I should have been more cautious. I barely slept the night before and I was hungry the whole day, the coffee doesn't cover it all the time" Changmin sighed.

"Don't worry about it. The past is the past, right? Let's not speak of that again. I'm already suffering enough with my self-bashing and constant reminding, not to mention the stares I get at the station"

"I can tell"

"Hopefully you won't get to experience it. By the time you comeback they'll all be whispering about some other fancy bit of police gossip other than Shim Changmin's pierced shoulder"

"Thank you for coming hyung. I really appreciate it"

"Don't sweat it. Just take your time and rest. I'll keep you informed of the case if you promise not to stress out and hinder your recovery" Yunho told him gravely.

"I promise"

"A very shallow reply. But I'll take it" Yunho smiled and ruffled Changmin's head.

"Hyung, introduce me to Kim Jaejoong. I feel I'm entitled to an opinion on my replacement"

"Will do. I'm sure he would like to meet you too" Yunho stood up ready to go "If he only knew how disappointed he'll be..."

"Yah! I was the best rookie of my year and this is my first bullet in twenty five years of life. You should be happy I'm not dead!"

"You're the best partner Changminnie, never doubt that"

* * *

 

Yunho left the hospital and stopped by some street food stalls to fill his empty stomach. He ate some ddeokbokkki and gulped it down with a cold beer inside his car. It was almost five in the afternoon when he finished his untimely meal. Yunho would have cursed his abnormal eating habits and hours but the lifestyle was already beyond the point of complain. He simply accepted it. While contemplating such reality, he opened the door of his car to let out the smell of food and received a call on his cell. It was Jaejoong.

"Yunho-sshi? Hello?" came the husky voice. A smile immediately came to play on Yunho's lips. It was stronger than him.

"Yes, hello?" he replied, then recalling it was work related he added "Something happened?"

"Your hateful paperwork happened"

"Oh that"

"Yes that. I had to bring Chunnie up to help me. This is grieving, grieving"

"I'm sorry about that" Yunho apologized with a chuckle.

"Anyway, I received a fax from the forensics lab. They are doing the biopsy on the dead girl in half an hour. Can you make it?"

"Sure. I just left Changmin and finished lunch"

"Lunch? Did I hear correctly?" Jaejoong sounded skeptic.

"Yes lunch"

"It's 5PM Yunho-sshi"

"I was hungry and I hadn't eaten anything since I left home"

"That can't be. It's bad for your health Yunho-sshi. Don't you know how to take care of yourself? What are those people at the hospital doing? They should keep you there instead"

"I've already spent too much time there Jaejoong-ah. I have a tendency to fall into life-and-death situations"

"Perhaps it's the job" Jaejoong suggested wittily.

"Perhaps"

There was a sudden noise on the other end of the line and the only words Yunho was able to make out were stop and flirting.

"Sorry, Chun was nagging me. He doesn't like this mess either"

"I'll apologize and thank him properly the next time I see him " Yunho said.

"You should go out with us for a drink some time"

"Kim Jaejoong this is not the filing department. I don't have time for a good night's sleep most weeks, much less for a drink. I expect the same dedication from you"

"You'll have to teach me then. I'm the new guy, aren't I?"

Another burst of static interrupted the conversation and Jaejoong was forced to end the call.

"I gotta go now. Don't forget our meeting later Yunho-sshi and tell those forensic asses to send the biopsy report as soon as they sew the girl up"

"I will. Please don't burn my desk"

"I don't do promises"

* * *

The forensics lab was located in a modern building complex very different from Seoul's old Police Department. It had less than five years hanging on it's foundations and inside it was sparkling white with the occasional grays and glass panes just like in those TV shows. Yunho felt quite the country-bumpkin every time he came by for an autopsy or to pick up more forms and reports to add to his workload.

He showed his credentials at the entrance and made his way towards the small preparation room adjoining the biopsy chamber. He had just finished washing his hands when a small figure in scrubs joined him.

"Right on time Jung Yunho. Lucky you that Kangin called, we were expecting him but it seems the case is being handed to you. Don't you think we'll tire of seeing your face sometime soon? Get some rest once in a while" Shin Seung Hoon, the chief medical examiner told him with a sly smile.

"It was a coincidence Seung Hoon-sshi. Work likes to fall on my lap"

"And you couldn't care less about kicking some of it aside"

"Please don't bully me hyung" Yunho pleaded.

"Please take a day off dongsaeng"

"I will as soon as I finish this case" Yunho said stubbornly. The older man shook his head to hide his disbelief and then both entered the cold autopsy room. An assistant physician was already there sorting out the instruments and examining the dead girl's body. Yunho recognized him as the forensic guy who had zipped open the corpse bag for them that afternoon.

"Let's start shall we?"

The autopsy took four long hours. The girl's burnt skin was not pleasant nor helpful. It took them awhile to find the true cause of death. She had been shot twice, once in the stomach and once in the heart. The latter had killed her on the spot though how many hours before the crash they couldn't tell. The explosion had damaged her body way too much. They plucked out the bullets, bagged them for further analysis and collected the usual DNA samples and teeth for dental records.

"You'll be lucky if you receive half the test results in the next two weeks" Seung Hoon told Yunho while they started cleaning up. Yunho frowned somberly.

"I can't pressure them again. Last time Changmin did it we both received threats and unpleasant notices at our office"

"Haha, Changmin was not very civil to begin with" the older man jested "I'll try to put in a word for you"

"Thank you, I really appreciate it"

"How about some dinner with the bachelor doctor, Yunho-yah?"

Yunho checked his watch before putting it on his wrist.

"I have to be somewhere by 10"

"There's a nice place just around the corner"

"Ok sure" Yunho agreed.

"We're set then. Oi, Kibum you coming too?" Seung Hoon turned to his assistant and the other man nodded.

* * *

Yunho left the restaurant ten minutes before his appointed hour with Jaejoong. The older medic was always good company and somehow their conversations always stretched longer than they should, covering a bunch of topics from police and medical work to private matters such as their ideal woman and old flings. Although the chat rather than excite depressed him, Yunho always found it interesting and he felt a mixture of guilt and joy while listening to Seung Hoon's stories. It was as if Yunho lived all those romantic mishaps indirectly. The images formed vividly in his mind and he almost forgot how empty and lonely his own life was. How despite being a popular and fairly good looking guy, he was a failure at relationships because of his compulsive addiction to work.

He arrived at the shooting range fifteen minutes later thanks to the night traffic. Considering the deserted parking lot, the place was empty. Yunho wondered if Jaejoong was late as well or if he had just walked there. Maybe he didn't even own a car. Yunho didn't know. He had to ask him someday.

The locker room echoed his steps. It was clearly vacant and Yunho didn't see Jaejoong's belongings anywhere. However, he soon heard a couple of shots being fired from the shooting range. Jaejoong was early and eager.

Yunho grabbed his gear and went to meet his partner. When Jaejoong finally came upon his field of vision his back was turned and he was pointing his gun single-handedly towards a target. He fired twice again and then pressed a button to retrieve the target. It flew over to him and even Yunho could see two holes ripping the paper-dummy right where the heart should have been.

"You're good. That's surprising"

Jaejoong must not have noticed his presence for he jolted at Yunho's voice.

"Yunho-sshi! I didn't hear you coming in"

"You were concentrated"

"Yes, I..." Jaejoong was strangely at a loss for words but Yunho didn't mind. He took a place beside Jaejoong and pulled out his automatic.

"So how do we do this? Your challenge, your rules" Yunho told him. Jaejoong broke free of his temporary aloofness and soon a playful smile was plastered on his face.

"Three turns each"

"Sounds ok. How many rounds in your magazine?"

Jaejoong glanced at his handgun and took his position.

"Ten"

"Same here" Yunho smirked.

"On the count of three"

"We should have brought a neutral party"

"Afraid I'll cheat on the count?"

"I'm just starting to get to know you Jaejoong-ah, I'll know when I trust you"

Jaejoong didn't answer. He hid a forlorn expression behind his shoulder which Yunho failed to catch and cleared his throat.

"Well, are we doing this or not? I'm sick of feeling like I have to prove myself" Jaejoong chided. Yunho laughed.

By the end of their challenge, Jaejoong resigned to Yunho's skill (he still insisted he was the official teaser in the partnership), yet he had lost for just a few centimeters. Yunho himself was astonished at the other man's ability. Jaejoong held his gun steadily, never shaking one bit. It was proof that his flimsy appearance was a mere appearance indeed and that under it rested smooth developed muscles and a strong built. His aim was also great, close to excellent. Yunho could only guess the shorter man took shooting as a hobby.

"You come here often?" Yunho asked him.

"Sometimes. I took a liking to shooting during my training days at the Academy" Jaejoong said while searching his jacket for cigarettes.

"Why didn't you apply for Homicide right from the start then?"

"It was too much of a hassle at the time. I wasn't ready for it and I didn't know if I would ever be"

Jaejoong seemed more honest about the subject than Yunho predicted.

"Are you ready now?"

"I guess so" Jaejoong answered while lighting up a cigarette "And I'm in dire need of cash. They wouldn't raise my pay at Records"

"Oh very amusing" Yunho replied. He didn't know if he should take the brunette seriously. He tried to make eye contact but Jaejoong was looking elsewhere into a world of his own. Perhaps it was too soon to delve into this strange person. Yunho knew it would take some time for him to open up, but it was still his first day so he shouldn't be too greedy. Yunho was apprehensive to talk about himself as well; to bare the aspects of his life none or very few knew about. Every one had secrets, things they kept to themselves and Yunho respected that.

"How did it went at the forensics lab? What was the outcome of the biopsy?"

"She took two bullets. One in the stomach and one in the heart" Yunho told him.

"You brought the bullets?"

"Of course. We'll go visit the driver at the hospital tomorrow, look for a gun among his belongings and go to Ballistics to see if it matches the bullets"

"You already planned it all out, uh?" Jaejoong said snappily.

"I'm the best cop around, didn't you know?"

"Then how was my first day Mr. Best Cop Around?"

Jaejoong's intense gaze met Yunho's eyes abruptly sending a shiver up Yunho's spine. He had to do something about that disconcerting gaze sometime. If he only could.

"Not average-"

"Not average?!" Jaejoong exclaimed and pouted unconsciously, aggravating Yunho's current mental situation.

"You didn't let me finish!" Yunho rebuked.

"Go ahead then"

"Not average, in fact ...too good to be true"

Jaejoong stood quietly in his spot while looking at Yunho with wide eyes. His silent stare took so long it began worrying the taller man.

"Wha-what?" he stuttered horribly.

"What does that even mean?" Jaejoong mumbled confused "Is that a praise or an offense? I can't decide..."

Yunho ignored Jaejoong's cute antics. He was too engrossed in the nerve-racking waltzing taking over his stomach. The dinner must have done him more harm then good. Or maybe not. Jung Yunho would never know. At least not so soon.


	5. Chapter 5

A drizzle fell upon Seoul the following morning sprinkling Yunho's car with millions of crystal dots. As he climbed the front steps of the Police Department the first thing that caught his attention was a loud hearty laugh which he was starting to get used to, though nothing about his job had much to do with amusement. Jaejoong was standing by the lifts talking animatedly with one of his ex-coworkers, Park Yoochun, who still exuded his aura of coolness wearing casual flip flops and a loose sweater. The die-hard committed policemen of Homicide marched past him with disapproval frowns thundering over their faces and even the leery guys from Narcotics gave him curious looks. Yoochun was like a rare specimen recently arrived to the city zoo from an exotic island. Yunho mentally commended himself on this last metaphor.

A pat on the shoulder robbed Yunho's attention. Donghae and his respective partner Siwon were just on their way out of the office when they bumped into Yunho and greeted him with a morning chit chat. After inquiring about his and Changmin's health the two policemen waved goodbye and legged it out of the building to meet their schedules. Jaejoong also detached himself from Yoochun at that time and sent him off. Yunho watched engrossed Jaejoong's unique aloofness as the lift doors closed and he stood there staring at them in a scatty daze. Yunho often wondered what the brunette thought about at those times or if he even thought at all. Maybe he turned off some switch to save energy, maybe some unpleasant memories caught up with him all of a sudden. It was not a rare occurrence. It often happened to people, Yunho included. He indulged himself in his musings for a while until he realized it would be better to save his thoughts for a more appropriate time.

"Hello" he rang by Jaejoong's ear. The shorter man turned his head around mildly surprised. Once he locked eyes with Yunho a toothy grin spread over his face.

"Yunho-sshi, didn't see you coming. Good morning"

"Good morning to you too"

"It's still too early to be charming" Jaejoong scolded.

"Then when is the right time, Jaejoong-ah?"

"Lunch"

"Lunch?" Yunho repeated. It was easy to loose himself in their teasing games, especially when Jaejoong was such an odd one.

"Yes, lunch Yunho-sshi" Jaejoong told him "So I can make sure you eat properly"

Yunho smiled awkwardly hearing the explanation. He was torn between feelings of surprise at Jaejoong's concern and shame of his own bad habits.

"Are you a mother?"

"I have been told that before"

"Not without reason apparently" Yunho mumbled. Jaejoong ignored him and changed topic.

"Anyway, look what I have here" he dangled a blue folder in front of Yunho's eyes excitedly.

"What's this?" Yunho asked as he grabbed the folder and skimmed through.

"Our driver's number plate register. It's in the name of one Lee Seungri"

"Well, that was quick" was all Yunho managed to say at the moment. The car crash hadn't even been assigned to them officially but Jaejoong had already taken care of such an important detail. Yunho was considerably admired.

"I pulled a few strings down at Records" Jaejoong smirked proudly.

"Clever"

"I'd say resourceful"

"As you wish" Yunho agreed. He finished scanning the last pages of the folder and closed it again.

"You think this Lee Seungri is our driver?" Jaejoong wondered.

"Let's go to the hospital and find out"

* * *

A middle-aged nurse dressed in impeccable garments stood behind the counter of the ICU block of the hospital where the victim Lee Seungri and, coincidentally, Changmin were staying at. In her name-tag one could see the rank of Chief Nurse shimmering ostentatiously for any passerby to read a mile away. Yunho approached her with Jaejoong a few steps behind. The latter was too occupied studying the gloomy faces in the waiting room who, in their turn, observed the two police inspectors closely as if they were beings from another planet.

"Good morning, we're from the Seoul Police Department. We came to check on a Lee Seungri. He was in the car crash that occurred yesterday morning" Yunho and Jaejoong flashed the woman their badges and after she glanced upon them briefly they stored them back inside their jackets.

"We've been expecting you" she said "The officers who accompanied the E.R. people told me there was an on-going investigation and that a police inspector should drop by. Poor thing, the boy is a wreck as you can imagine"

"Could you show us his room please?"

"Certainly. Follow me" The Chief Nurse agreed and walked away from the counter motioning the two policemen to follow her. They did as they were told and since Jaejoong was still distracted by the suspicious looks from the crowd in the waiting room, the nurse was forced to tell him they weren't used to seeing such a pair of pretty young men roaming about the ICU every day. She advised them to ignore the stares.

After turning a few corridors they stopped before a closed door. Beside it was a big glass window from which they could perceive Seungri laying motionless in his bed, attached to plugs and tubes and surrounded by beeping machines. His heartbeat was stable but low and he was severely bandaged.

"If you're interested in his medical records I can call the doctor who's supervising him or the appointed nurse if the doctor is not available" the Chief Nurse suggested.

"That would be excellent. Thank you" Yunho nodded and she complied.

"Do you mind telling me where you stored his belongings? The hospital staff must have stashed them somewhere, I suppose?"

"Yes, there is a storage room at the end of the corridor. There's a sign on the door"

"Ok. I'll check that then" Jaejoong decided. Yunho consented with a nod of his head and stayed rooted to his spot waiting for the nurse to return with the doctor. He tried not to stare too much at Seungri. The guy didn't look too good and Yunho began wondering if he would ever be able to speak again and contribute with anything valuable to the case.

"Mr. Inspector, I'm sorry. The doctor was not available" Yunho glanced towards the Chief Nurse who returned in a quick step along with a short young nurse. She had long hair tied up in an elaborate knot and a familiar slender face. Go Ara.

"He has an appointment in half an hour. Do you prefer waiting or do you want me to page him? Either way, I've brought Go Ara-sshi. She's the patient's attending nurse"

Yunho smiled apologetically and bowed "Never mind. There's no need to bother the doctor, Go Ara-sshi will do perfectly. How have you been?"

"Fine and you?" she replied politely with a graceful smile. The Chief Nurse glared at the interchange of greetings and snorted.

"You know each other?"

"Yes"

"We met before she was transfered to the ICU" Yunho explained.

"I see. Well then, I guess you have everything under control here. I'll be back to work"

"Thank you very much"

The Chief Nurse bowed and went back to her post by the counter.

"What can I help you with Yunho-sshi?" Go Ara asked, urging to be of assistance.

"How's he doing?" Yunho replied her with a question of his own and pointed to the mass of bandages laying on the bed.

"Well would be an overstatement. He was in a critical state until this morning but he has stabilized in the last three hours"

"When do you think he will wake up?"

Go Ara furrowed her eyebrows sadly.

"We're not sure. He has five broken ribs and at least fifty percent of his skin with third degree burns, not to mention the concussion from jumping out of the car. He was really reckless but he would not have survived if he had stayed inside. We expect him to regain consciousness anytime now, but his dose of morphine is very high as is the rest of his medication"

"So no talk anytime soon" Yunho concluded.

"Yes, I wouldn't expect it. We have scheduled him some exams and one surgery this week. We still don't know how affected his throat was, but from the outside it doesn't look too bad. I can send you the doctor's report if you wish" Ara suggested.

"Don't bother for now. Just keep me updated of his condition. As soon as he starts talking contact me" Yunho told her "By the way, did you find any bruises or injuries that he may have had before the accident?"

"Nothing. The most exposed part of his skin was terribly damaged. But his knuckles were bruised. He may have been in a fight of sorts"

"OK, that's interesting. Thank you" Yunho sent her an appraising smile and she returned it, though not for long. Her happy expression slowly wrought into one of dread. Yunho followed her gaze and met Jaejoong's standing figure beside him, composure being his main goal.

"Oh you're back"

"Yes" Jaejoong cut it short. Yunho detected some sort of discomfort in his partner's voice.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing. Those forensic imbeciles must have taken the gun without leaving us a kindly notice" Jaejoong answered a little angry, still plainly staring at Go Ara who bowed to him politely.

"Don't worry. They must have taken care of it because the case is still changing hands. Kangin might have told them to wrap it up and take it" Yunho assured him but it didn't seem to help much.

"Of course, Kangin. That explains a lot" Jaejoong spat sarcastically. Yunho sighed in defeat and proceeded to introduce Ara to Jaejoong.

"This is Go Ara-sshi, she's Seungri's nurse. Ara-sshi, this is my new partner Jaejoong"

"Nice to meet you"

"As well" Jaejoong practically hissed.

"What happened to Changmin-sshi?" she asked out of curiosity. The comment earned her an eyebrow twitch from Jaejoong.

"He was shot in the shoulder and I'm his replacement" he responded quickly.

"Yes, he is staying at your old ward. I visited him yesterday and met with a few friendly faces as well. That's when they told me you had been transfered here" Yunho informed her.

"Oh, I hope he is recovering well. I had no idea" Go Ara apologized.

Yunho didn't mind her and after a few more exchanges of words regarding the patient they parted ways. Yunho and Jaejoong thanked the Chief Nurse at the entrance counter and walked out of the hospital bickering.

"... How could she not know? Doesn't she read the papers? I thought medical folk were supposed to be smart" Jaejoong blabbered nonchalantly reaching for the handle of the car door.

"What's it to you? She was just being nice"

"Mighty decent of her" Jaejoong's sarcasm leaked out of his mouth. Yunho shrugged his shoulders and unlocked the car.

"You know she probably has a lot of work here, taking care of all the wreck that comes through those doors. Who cares if she knew about Changmin or not anyway?"

"You should. He's your friend isn't he?" Jaejoong tried to argue with some logic.

"What does that even mean?" Yunho opened the car door and sat behind the wheel.

"Shouldn't your girlfriend or rather, love interest, know a bit about your life? Show some interest?" Jaejoong explained calmly, entering the vehicle after Yunho.

"How do you know that?!" Yunho retorted perplexed. As far as he knew he hadn't been acquainted with Jaejoong during the time he had met Go Ara, almost two or three months ago.

"All those smiles and her blushing from head to toe? Please, even a blind man would get that or the emotion-deprived Chief Nurse back there"

"Hey, that's going too far. She was helpful" Yunho retorted. He wasn't the least bit pleased with Jaejoong's bad humor and he doubted anyone could ever put up with it.

"Yeah yeah, I nailed it though, didn't I?"

"Nailed what?"

"About Go Ara, you dunce"

"Ok that's going a little too far Jaejoong--sshi" Yunho stressed the formal suffix and pinched Jaejoong's cheek. Hard.

"Shit! That hurts!"

"Then stop being an ass"

"It was just an honest comment. Can't handle that, Yunho-sshi? I didn't know you were so sensible on the girlfriend topic" Jaejoong said, trying terribly to hide his amused expression which Yunho disregarded completely for the gullible part of his nature.

"She's not my girlfriend. What makes you think that?"

"You're not doing her? Are you absolutely certain Inspector Jung?"

"Jaejoong-ah, my silencing methods don't stop at pinching your cheek" he threatened.

"Ok, ok, I'll stop" Jaejoong raised his hands in mock defeat and tried to stifle his laugh.

"Anyway, apart from the whole gun business, anything interesting about Seungri's belongings?" Yunho asked and turned on the ignition, assured he wouldn't need to bother himself with further bodily punishment.

"Not really. They were mostly dirty, burnt rags that no longer resemble any clothing known to mankind. I did find his wallet though. He really is the same Lee Seungri that owns the car, or whatever remains of it" Jaejoong said.

"Not bad. We can work with that"

"Also, he is from the south, Gwangju. That explains the lack of grief-stricken relatives hovering about"

"Really? What a coincidence"

"Why? You know Gwangju?"

"I'm from there too. Born and raised" Yunho said.

"Seriously?" Jaejoong's doe eyes widened for a second before he resumed his derisive and cold expression "I knew there was something off about you"

"Is that a mocking tone I hear?" Yunho interjected defensively.

"Now I know where the accent comes from..." Jaejoong mumbled half in a daze as he grasped the whole picture.

"What? It doesn't show that much!" Yunho's accent complex came bubbling up much to the brunette's amusement.

"Don't worry Yunho-sshi, it's funny"

"You Seoul kids think you're so much better than everyone else, uh?"

"I'm not from Seoul either. In fact, I have a nice country accent of my own" Jaejoong said quite serious.

Yunho put a stop to his self-concerns and turned to look at Jaejoong bewildered.

"Are you serious?" he exclaimed. It was surreal that a person with Jaejoong's uncommon looks was able to speak provincial slang. He really was a never-ending surprise.

"Go on, say something then" Yunho urged him.

Jaejoong opened his mouth and a bunch of strange incomprehensible sounds came out echoing inside the car. Yunho was able to hold his laughter for almost half a minute before he cracked up completely.

"I feel so much better now!" Yunho uttered between laughs. Jaejoong laughed as well yet not before he spouted a slick commentary of his own.

"Do' ya, Yunho-sshi? Does it feel that good to be insulted and not even knowing how?"

Yunho's laugh died instantly and he glared at Jaejoong.

"Yah, you're worst than Changmin"

"Hahaha, I'll try to stay out of hospital beds then" Jaejoong replied "By the way, speaking of people in hospital beds... it seems everyone is laying in one lately... what happened to the girl that overdosed? The one who gave you those nasty decorations on your neck?" Jaejoong asked all of a sudden, pointing to Yunho's neck.

"You mean, the one from the dealer's case?"

"Yeah. It's been two days. Haven't you heard anything from the hospital? Is she staying here as well?" Jaejoong wondered.

"I doubt it. Normally they bring OD cases to the E.R. and once they stabilize they are sent to rehab clinics or home if the families can't afford treatment" Yunho explained. He stopped the car and took out the keys "Let's stop by the E.R. and see where they sent her. We're here already"

Yunho and Jaejoong got out of the car and entered the hospital once again. After learning that the overdosed girl, named Lee Ha Na according to her medical file, was still confined to her comatose state they left the building and drove to the forensics lab.

* * *

"Always more play than work" Yunho's observation was loud enough to make the geek hiding behind two high-tech monitors lift his head up. Kyuhyun's judgmental gaze pierced Yunho at once but halted abruptly as it landed on Jaejoong. Kyuhyun bowed slightly in greeting and Jaejoong mimicked him.

"You should leave me and my inconspicuous Starcraft breaks alone and go visit Changmin instead. I've become his official punching bag and as much as I enjoy the bastard's company I don't think I can handle it any longer" Kyuhyun complained.

"Now you know how I've suffered all these years" Yunho sneered. Kyuhyun sighed, refusing to acknowledge the older man's past sufferings.

"Whatever, whatever. Who do I own the unexpected visit?"

"Your forensic mates actually. They bagged a gun from the car crash site yesterday and I collected two bullets from a dead girl's body I want you to analyze. See if they match" Yunho took a plastic bag from his pocket inside of which resided two bullets.

"You've come to the right place then" Kyuhyun said. The sign on his door read Ballistics Dpt.

He grabbed the plastic bag from Yunho's grasp and fetched the gun. After rummaging through three or four drawers he finally found it tagged and well-preserved. His analysis was quite fast.

"Positive match~" Kyuhyun announced in a sing song voice.

"Shit" Yunho's swearing earned him a painful nudge from Jaejoong.

"Language"

"Oh sorry"

"What does this mean?" Kyuhyun asked curiously.

"That the driver shot the girl he had in the trunk of his car" Jaejoong answered him.

"Wow, that's sick. Who was she? His girlfriend or something?"

"We don't know. We're still waiting for the autopsy report and we haven't spoken with any relative of the driver yet. He's not from Seoul so it doesn't help" Jaejoong explained. The case seemed to find hindrance after hindrance the more they investigated.

"Did you find any fingerprints on the gun?" Jaejoong inquired.

"Yes, a few. They are all from the same person. Should I run them in the criminal database?" Kyuhyun suggested sitting once again in front of his computer.

"Sure, go ahead. This Seungri guy might have a criminal record for all we know" Jaejoong uttered desperately. He sat beside Kyuhyun, occupying the only available seat and leaving Yunho standing behind them with arms crossed.

"Here's your guy" a picture appeared on the screen next to the fingerprint. It was the same Lee Seungri they had seen that morning all bandaged and injured, yet here he appeared rid of any burns. Kyuhyun highlighted the interesting points "Lee Seungri, 21 years old, a couple of regulatory offenses and... biggest misdemeanor: drug possession"

"And now murder" Yunho added.

"Can you get us his address?" Jaejoong requested. Kyuhyun typed away on his keyboard and less than a minute later Jaejoong was already memorizing the place where the young rascal lived.

"Thanks Kyu. We'll be going there immediately" Yunho threw an arm around Kyuhyun's shoulders and shook the man vigorously. Jaejoong thanked him as well.

"Ok, whatever. Don't forget to visit Changmin and ease my burden" the snarky geek reminded Yunho.

"I'll think about it"

Kyuhyun watched the two policemen trot away out of his lab and returned to his Starcraft game.

* * *

"We're going there right now? It's lunch time. Let's stop for ramen or something" Jaejoong nagged beside the driver's seat.

"It's just a few blocks away. It won't take long"

"Are you kidding me? It's Itaewon, it's fucking far"

"Watch your language Kim Jaejoong"

"Yours is not much better either" Jaejoong spat back. Yunho laughed.

"Ok, ok. Ramen sounds good"

"And tastes good as well. Ah! Look there's a restaurant over there. Turn around, turn around-"

"Don't boss me. I'm the one behind the wheel!"

"Whatever wheel-man. Yah! There's a free spot there- wait- shit! Son of a bitch! Stole our fucking parking space!"

Amidst much swearing and petty arguments, Yunho and Jaejoong had delicious ramen for lunch. It was nearly 3 o'clock in the afternoon when they returned to their job.

"Look at the time, we wasted hours with your stupid order" Yunho complained.

Jaejoong was the one driving now, a cigarette stuck between his teeth.

"It was not my fault. The old man took too long to bring me my special spicy order. As a customer I think I'm entitled to that" Jaejoong argued free of guilt. Yunho slouched in his seat to ease his gloom.

"Aish, whatever. Time won't unwind anyway"

"True that"

"Stop answering to everything I say for a moment, Jaejoong-ah"

"Uuuh, Yunho-yah how sulky" the brunette teased. Yunho was too tired from their constant bickering to reply.

After half an hour of driving they finally reached Seungri's place in crappy Itaewon. The condo his flat belonged to mingled perfectly with its poor surroundings. Grey, dusty, barely standing but unusually sturdy. It was a contradiction in itself.

“This is what I call a rundown place”

“That's praising it”

Both man laughed at the joke.

“Hey, Yunho-yah, don't you think we should wait for a warrant? It won't be pretty if we get caught” Jaejoong said while they climbed the stairs to the second floor.

“We'll have to wait at least two days if we want a warrant. That's enough time for someone to come by and ruin what may be our crime scene”

“You think he shot the girl inside his apartment? That's stupid, the neighbors would have heard it” Jaejoong dismissed Yunho's theory with a sigh.

“Just look at this place. I bet nobody gave a shit if he shot someone”

“What if he didn't kill her here? You can't rule that out”

“You're right, but we don't even know who she is or how they were related. We'll find something here. Trust me” Yunho turned around and looked Jaejoong in the eye. Strangely enough it was all it took to convince him.

They broke inside the flat easily and as soon as they stepped in they started examining every inch of the place. It wasn't very messy but some things were definitely out of their place in the small living room. They were scattered around and some even broken near the kitchen area.

“There must have been a big fight here” Yunho said while assessing the room "Now that I think about it, Ara said Seungri had bruised knuckles. Maybe this was the place where he got them"

“The bathroom is clean. Nothing suspicious there. You found any blood?”

“Not yet”

Jaejoong crossed the living room towards the bedroom.

“Maybe he really didn't kill her here” Yunho pondered.

“I told you” Jaejoong replied from the other room.

“I know. But there must be something here. Something else, something that connects Seungri to Hyunjoong” Yunho rested his hands on his hips and sighed.

“Who?” Jaejoong's voice resonated through the apartment.

“Kim Hyunjoong. The dealer who escaped the other day” Yunho said spiteful.

“Oh yeah, I remember”

“Seungri's gun matched the bullets that killed the girl before the car accident. Moreover, he called Hyunjoong minutes before the explosion. The call probably made him jump out of the car. I don't see how this all fits” Yunho tried to rationalize things but he was too frustrated.

“We're lacking motive”

“Exactly. We need to figure out who that girl was and what Seungri had been doing this past couple of days. We should get that warrant and ask around-”

“Hey, Yunho-yah come here” Jaejoong called him from the bedroom.

“What?”

Jaejoong's gloved hands pointed towards a small pile of photos next to a laptop.

“It's the same girl with him in all these pictures. I guess we can call her his girlfriend”

“Yeah" Yunho nodded. The photos consisted mostly of Seungri and his girlfriend and one or two of him and his friends "No sight of Hyunjoong though"

"Yes, no sight of him"

After making sure nothing had been touched or taken out of place, Yunho and Jaejoong left the flat. They were not very happy with their lack of findings but both believed a thorough search with the warrant would dig up some evidence.

"Wait till those forensic guys sweep this place. They'll give you the damn family tree of the kid" Yunho muttered angrily. Jaejoong smiled.

The two walked down the stairs to the first floor and met a dark figure halfway going the opposite direction. The guy had black hair and a pair of menacing eyes. He stopped in his tracks to stare at them and after sending Jaejoong a last intimidating look he shrugged his shoulders and walked on. However, Yunho didn't let him go in peace.

"Hey, you live here?" He asked the suspicious man. An interval of silence hung in the air for a few seconds.

"Yeah, who wants to know?" he replied in a hoarse voice. Yunho didn't flinch.

"Police" he answered. Yunho didn't need to take out his badge to prove it. He simply flashed him the gun holster he hid under his jacket "You know the guy in 2B?"

"Never met him"

"What's your name?"

"Choi Seung-hyun"

"We'll be back to ask a few questions, ok?"

The guy shrugged and entered his apartment.

"What do you think of that?" Yunho turned to Jaejoong.

"There's too many creeps here"

"Agreed"

* * *

They finally returned to the police station later on that afternoon. Nonetheless, before they could reach their work desks and slump in their seats Jaejoong received a call on his cell.

"Yunho-yah, can you dismiss me for the rest of the day?" he requested as the call ended.

"Why?"

"Something came up and I'm needed"

Yunho frowned.

"You're needed here too"

"Come on, we've had a full day. It's not like we'll finish all this paperwork today. I'd go to the moon first" Jaejoong argued sarcastically, yet it was his dangerous pout that won Yunho's permission.

"Ok, you can go"

"Thank you very much" Jaejoong bowed in appreciation.

"Just one thing, Jaejoong-ah"

"Yes?"

"What happened to calling me Yunho-sshi?"


	6. Chapter 6

It seemed that the only thing they did for the next couple of days was waiting for something to happen, not to mention taking care of the unearthly load of paperwork Yunho still had piling up in his and Changmin's old desk, currently Jaejoong's. The lab results that might give them any substantial evidence or lead to carry on with the two correlated cases were also as late as ever and even the warrant request to search Seungri's apartment was being constantly stalled by ludicrous office wars that didn't have anything to with the hotblooded policemen of Homicide. Yunho was positively furious with the resulting dullness. He never had any patience for signing papers and reviewing stupid bureaucracy to begin with.

Jaejoong was also reaching the brim of his sanity while trying to cope with such an impatient and irritating Yunho. He was actually quite glad when the taller man was gone to his training and exercising, visiting Changmin or simply taking a piss. Anything was better than to have him around side glancing his paperwork carelessly and signing it only for the sake of getting rid of it. Jaejoong had almost ran out of witty comments to tease him with and what was left of his arsenal of retorts merely fueled his constant scolding.

The contrasting behavior of the two gained a lot of unwanted attention from their surroundings. Often some courageous passerby dared calling them an old married couple, something which Yunho had never heard when Changmin was around. Changmin was too rude and direct to allow that kind of treatment and Yunho was more amused than glad at such personality traits. With Jaejoong it was entirely different, as one might suppose. Very opposite to Changmin, he actually didn't mind the paperwork, having previously been working at Records Dpt, and his looks though cold were not very intimidating like Changmin's mismatched eyes and tall stature. The only thing that Jaejoong had going on for him besides his sharp tongue was his intense death glare and most unexpectedly, Yunho himself, who had become more protective of the pretty man than he needed be.

It took most of the guys from the Homicide by surprise how nicely the two were getting along in spite of the arguments that arose from dealing with the paperwork. It took Yunho by surprise too for he had been the one to step into such new partnership with a prejudiced mind. He had been completely swept off his feet and he was lately questioning himself about the reasons behind it. Sometimes he felt that he only needed to look at Jaejoong to know the answer. It was all there bared for him to see. Other times, it was concealed and shut away somewhere he couldn't reach; somewhere he feared to thread. A limbo he really didn't want to step on.

“Yunho-sshi, sorry for interrupting” a secretary dressed in an office suit popped by Yunho and Jaejoong's area, arms filled with folders and envelopes “I've brought your mail” she said and eyed down the mass of papers in her arms. Yunho immediately helped her unloading it on the table and thanked her.

“These folders came with a note from Changmin-sshi. He said you were expecting it” she added while straightening her shirt.

“Yes, yes. These are some testimonies and papers Changmin took home. I asked him to send them over” Yunho corroborated her story and after thanking the woman again he resumed his seat and she left.

“Are you kidding me? Or have you some sadistic pleasure in all this?” Jaejoong darted his observation as soon as they were alone. He couldn't believe the only surface of the desks they had managed to clear up in two days had suddenly disappeared under another stack of papers. Kerosene was starting to become a very alluring solution to the whole mess.

“I'm trying to find a lead or something that will get me out of this building” Yunho replied dryly.

“Well, good luck with that then. Your investigation until now has been stunning for that matter” Jaejoong said burying his head in another thick folder before Yunho could hit him with the nearest pen.

“Oh my! The lovebirds don't get any rest, do they?” Heechul waltzed into the room with a devious smile playing on his lips. Yunho could feel not only his but Jaejoong's dread drowning them both that very moment.

“Wondering when I'd show up, uh?” Heechul prompted the question without expecting any kind of reply. However, he did get one. If there was someone who did not stand Heechul's excessive antics was Jaejoong. Although they could be very similar in much of their weirdness, overall they had very different characters and it did not take Yunho two meetings to understand that the two did not and would never befriend each other willingly.

“Just working really”

“I can imagine. You seem to be in your element Jaejoong-sshi” Heechul snorted.

“And you in yours” Jaejoong's personal rebellious nature was stronger than his self-control when dealing with the obnoxious Inspector.

“Oooooh, no need to be bitchy about it” Heechul sauntered behind Jaejoong's swiveling chair, looking quite displeased to see another man taking the seat where he used to taunt Jung Yunho.

“I wasn't. You were the one being a pretentious-”

“Where's Hangeng?” Yunho's question captured Heechul's attention just in time. The lanky man looked up towards him and he glided to Yunho's side in an instant.

“Outside waiting in the car. I just stopped by to pick some documents and say hi to the little princess” he said glancing in Jaejoong's direction. The brunette lifted his gaze from the sentence he had already read five times.

“Come on' stop it” Yunho nudged Heechul's side with his elbow eliciting a laugh.

“Don't worry Yunho-yah, don't need to be jealous. Jaejoong-sshi is doing just fine” Heechul chuckled and reached for some documents in his own working area. Seconds later he returned.

“I'd love to stay and pick on you two but I have work to do. The Chief has been on my ass lately, but not literally” more laughs “ Hey, Mr. Jung, today is bowling night. We are expecting you, OK?”

“What? But Changmin is in the hospital. Our team is short on one, I can't go-”

Heechul's grin just grew wider.

“Then just bring princess over here”

Before Jaejoong could refuse him, Heechul was already out the door and long gone.

“Sorry to get you tangled in this-” Yunho began his repentance for Heechul's attitude but Jaejoong would not take his unspoken refusal back.

“Look, Yunho-yah, I really can't go. Not with him there. Besides I have other things arranged so-”

“What? Can't you postpone them or something?” Yunho's outburst was tinged with alarm. It had been a sudden suggestion but the idea of Jaejoong joining them that evening had sat so easily on his mind that he could not accept the rejection at once. "We're short on one team member, you'd be a great help. It's just this once. Come on!”

“Why don't you postpone it until you find a replacement? Why should I change my schedule to accommodate yours?”

“Well, it's really hard to find a night when we are all free, so yeah, we won't be changing our plans just because you can't” Yunho spat back.

“Well, whatever, I can't go” Jaejoong said regaining his calm and flipping a page.

“Yah, Jaejoong, please”

Jaejoong made the terrible mistake of unleashing Yunho's cute side. His pleading face was afflicting to his heart and a 'yes' nearly escaped his mouth at the sight. Technically, there should be nothing cute about a grown man's begging face, but Yunho's was irritating in a very childish way. His almond eyes rounded slightly and Jaejoong had to tell himself not to bang his head on the desk repeatedly to knock him out of the trance.

“What do I get in return?” Jaejoong asked cunningly.

“Bowling, fun and drinks?” Yunho answered quite honestly.

“No shit”

“Aish, Jaejoong-ah. I'm asking you!”

“I...” Jaejoong sighed. It was useless to try coaxing Yunho to accept his refusal when he was being so adorably sincere.

“Well, sure... I'll see what I can do” he answered not feeling totally defeated. Instead he felt unnecessarily nervous all of a sudden.

“Great! That's great! You won't regret it” Yunho beamed a big smile, too happy to care he was being wholly out of place “I hope you're a good bowler though”

“You think I suck? You should have thought twice about asking me then” Jaejoong chided. He was anxious and itchy for a cigarette.

“No! I'm not taking it back” Yunho retaliated automatically. He was too proud for that and he most certainly would not go without Jaejoong now.

“Well, at least I don't humiliate anyone with pathetic poses” Jaejoong mumbled while reaching for the pile of mail. Yunho froze in his seat.

“What?” Jaejoong looked up confused, wondering if he had said something wrong “What?”

“Are you implying something?” Yunho asked him dubiously. Jaejoong blinked in response.

“No, I just said that there are people who tend to do stupid poses when they bowl, you know that, right? I am not one of them so- Oh!” he stopped his explanation as soon as Yunho's weird behavior hit home “Don't tell me...” Jaejoong grinned hard “you're one of them?”

Yunho reddened severely.

“It's technique! Technique!!” he shouted defensively. The brunette laughed.

“Yeah, right. You could at least say it's for luck or something”

“Bowling is all about technique. Poses matter!”

“Matter my ass”

“You'll see”

“Can't wait”

“What's going on here?” an older, rough voice disrupted their argument. The Chief appeared beside the two of them and they both bowed their heads in greeting, a little taken aback with surprise.

“Chief!”

“Sir!”

“How's work going?” the older man inquired smirking. His condescending gaze told them he knew they had been fooling around.

“Slow, sir”

“It's going fine”

Yunho and Jaejoong both looked at each other with murderous intent.

“I see, I see” the Chief laughed and patted Jaejoong's back who was nearest to him “Hope you're enjoying it here, Jaejoong-ah”

“I adapt quickly”

“I know. I was right in choosing you”

“Thank you sir”

“You don't have to thank me. I also know I put you in good hands, right Yunho?” the Chief nodded his head towards Yunho and the latter gave him a forced smile.

“Well boys, I've had lunch and now I'm back to my office. Don't sweat too much, uh?” the man laughed loudly and shook Yunho's shoulder before walking away.

“I adapt quickly” Yunho mocked Jaejoong's voice and the other kicked him under the table.

“I'm in the worst hands possible!”

They both chuckled.

* * *

It was near 5PM when something of value crossed Yunho's eye. It was in the pile of files the female secretary had brought him earlier that day. The paper in question was a testimony, more of a scrabble of a testimony (nothing official enough to be considered evidence yet) from a neighborhood kid relating to the first case: the pool party slaughter. Yunho read the paper several times before mentioning it to Jaejoong.

“Hey, Jae-” he looked up but Jaejoong wasn't there. His swiveling chair stood in front of Yunho motionless.

“Where did he go?” he looked around half in a daze, until a co-worker told him he had just ran into Jaejoong in the john. Yunho thanked him and got up, intent on following Jaejoong to the restroom. He didn't have any sick ideas in his head, mind you. Yunho's desire to flee from his desk was simply bigger than anything at the moment and the latest discovery had propelled him to get the hell out of there with or without Jaejoong.

As soon as he entered the restroom he saw the other man near the sinks, phone glued to his ear. Once the brunette noticed him he ended his call instantly and shoved the object in his back pocket.

“Yunho-yah?” Jaejoong sounded befuddled but he did not give Yunho time to even think about his constraint “What now? Are our periods coinciding?” his quirky comment fooled Yunho temporarily.

“No. I just wanted to tell you I think I may have found something” Yunho answered, lifting his right hand that still clutched the liberating testimony.

“And couldn't it wait until my return?” Jaejoong wondered.

“I've spent the past two days looking for a reason to get out of that damn office, give me a break here” Yunho complained.

“Ok, ok, let's see what you brought”

Jaejoong read the testimony in silence.

“It says here this kid neighbor saw a car parking in front of the house on the night of the pool slaughter minutes before the police arrived” Jaejoong summed it up.

“Yes”

“Why didn't you check this kid sooner? This is something”

“I know. But we were overconfident with the information we got from the victims phones. Once we got Hyunjoong's address we ran there”

“Reckless-” Jaejoong's remark was cut short by a chubby policeman entering the restroom and bumping into Yunho.

“Hey, fellas, discussing work in the toilet? What's the world come to?” the man grumbled.

“Sorry, Shindong-sshi. We'll be out of your way” Yunho tapped the man's back and walked out of the place with Jaejoong following suit.

“So, are we going to check this kid?” Jaejoong asked Yunho in the middle of the hall.

“As soon as I get my jacket”

The drive to the kid's address was eerie for Yunho. The last time he had driven there he had had no idea of the blood and gore that expected him; those people lying dead on the floor and the other four floating in the pool, their blood dyeing the water red. It was quite a sight. Nonetheless, he had learned to live with it. His job required that much of him and he did not protest. Those terrible images that haunted his mind only added to the rest that made his work something so valuable and important to him.

“I think it's this one here” Jaejoong told him pointing to a big house hid behind a gray gate. Yunho parked the car on the opposite side of the street and after getting out they rang the bell on the intercom by the gate.

“Hello, how may I help you?” a female voice asked after a few rings.

“Good afternoon. We're from the Seoul Police Department. We just want to ask some questions about the incident next door”

There was silence and a minute later the gate began to pull away opening a path for them to enter. By the front door stood a short woman clinging to the knob.

“You're here to talk to my son, am I right?” she said as soon as they stepped on the threshold.

“Is your son Kang Daesung?” Jaejoong asked her, sensing she was somehow tense.

“Yes, he is”

“Is he in? I understand it may be a bad time, but this is urgent”

“He is studying for his college exams, but I'll talk to him. Please wait here” she motioned towards the living room and then climbed the staircase to the second floor. Five minutes later she came down with her son. He greeted the two police inspectors politely and sat in an armchair next to the sofa where the two had accommodated themselves.

“Can I get you anything to drink?” the mother offered. Yunho declined and so did Jaejoong.

“So, Daesung, we came to get an official testimony from you about the night of the murders next door” Yunho said calmly. He took out the paper where a scrabbled testimony had been written down the night of the slaughter “I understand you talked to a police officer that night but not the actual inspectors appointed to the case”

The shy boy nodded.

“We didn't bother you before because we thought the evidence we had at the time was enough. I hope our sudden appearance won't bother you but we really need details about the things you saw that night. Is that OK?”

“Yes, of course”

“W-what if they come and hurt us too?! You didn't catch the men who killed our neighbors, did you?” Mrs. Kang exclaimed nervously and ran to her son's side. She appeared to be scared and not without reason. Jaejoong answered her.

“No we didn't. That's why we came to talk to your son. If anything happens, we can put him and your family under witness protection. However, as far as I know, no one saw your son that night. He never left his room, much less this house”

“Y-yes. You're right. Neither of us left that night. We were all sleeping in our beds” Mrs. Kang replied.

“Except your son” Jaejoong retorted. While he and Mrs. Kang looked towards Daesung, Yunho stared at Jaejoong. He was always amazed at how easily his mood managed to change according to their circumstances. He really did adapt quickly.

“I- I was asleep, but I woke up with all the ruckus outside” Daesung explained.

“So you heard some noise. Was it the party or something else? Shooting?” Jaejoong threw the options for the boy to choose.

“The party awoke me several times. People shouting and singing, and the splashes on the pool. My room faces their backyard so I tend to hear almost everything there. I'm used to it. During summer I barely get any sleep. But that doesn't really mean much- they throw a lot of parties regardless of the time of the year” Daesung babbled. His mother caressed his arm absentmindedly.

“If you're used to the noise then what made you go to the window and look?”

“The screams” Daesung answered dryly.

Jaejoong smiled inwardly. He had been right.

“They were not your usual pool party screams I assume?”

“No, they definitely weren't. But I didn't hear any shooting so I wasn't worried at first”

“Yet, you did go to the window?” Yunho interposed.

“Yes I did”

“The police had not arrived at that time?”

“No”

“But according to your statement, there was a car there”

“Yes” Daesung said “When I got to the window I didn't even look towards the pool. I saw a car driving by and parking in front of the house. Then four guys ran out of the house and got inside before it drove away”

“Four guys?” Yunho repeated. This was new information “You're certain they were four men?”

“Yes. I was at a considerable distance, but I think they were”

“Do you mind if we test it out?” Yunho suggested. Daesung and his mother exchanged looks and nodded. Yunho looked towards Jaejoong who also had a stunned expression on his face.

“What?”

“I want you and Mrs. Kang to go outside and stand by the gate of the other house while I watch you from Daesung's room. Go on. It only takes a few minutes” Yunho said getting up from his seat.

“But-” Jaejoong sounded reluctant yet Yunho was already climbing up the stairs to Daesung's room.

They tested it out. They concluded that one could indeed discern male and female figures from such distance. However, a new question arose once they were again sitting inside the living room.

“But you saw those four figures at night. Even with the street illumination it would be hard to see” Jaejoong said.

“Yes, the street was dimly lit, but I don't think there were any women. I heard them shout and it were only male voices” Daesung explained. Jaejoong sighed clearly not satisfied. He'd have to take the boy by his word if he wanted to believe.

“Can you remember anything they were saying?” Yunho asked him.

“No. I tried to but the car's engine didn't help. They were in a hurry though”

“What about the driver? How many people were inside the car before the other four men got inside?"

“Just the driver. He had blonde hair. That I remember well”

Yunho noted it down.

“If we showed you pictures, could you recognize them? Put a face to a name?”

“No. I just remember that guy's bright blond hair. Short and straight. Nothing much. I don't remember faces”

“That's a shame” Yunho replied with a sad smile. He finished scribbling a few more notes and then turned to Jaejoong.

“Do you have anything to add?”

“No, I'm done here”

“Me too. Thank you very much for your cooperation” Yunho extended a hand to Daesung and the boy shook it. They all bowed to each other and the mother and son escorted the two police inspectors to the front door.

“If there's anything you need contact us” Yunho told Mrs. Kang. The woman bowed deeply in gratitude and closed the door after the two men disappeared behind the closing gate.

“That went well” Yunho said in high spirits. Jaejoong snorted and entered the car.

“What now? You think he was lying? Come on, Jaejoong-ah, stop being paranoid” Yunho chided.

“I didn't say anything!” Jaejoong replied with a pout.

“I can read it in your face”

“I bet you can” Jaejoong said sarcastically.

“It's your mood. I can feel it”

“You feel a lot of stupid things then”

“I wouldn't call them stupid”

“They are”

Yunho closed the car door with a smile.

“Now tell me, what's your problem with Daesung's testimony?”

“For starters, how can he be so sure they were four men? It's really hard to see at night, especially with those gates and gardens in the way”

“I was in his room. It had a great view I tell you” Yunho assured him. Jaejoong's pout remained nevertheless.

“What about his sleep excuse?”

“What sleep excuse? The slaughter happened at 2AM, he is a college student. Of course he was asleep”

“He could be jerking off. With all those girls swimming in the pool and partying away-”

Yunho immediately stopped Jaejoong's bantering.

“Jaejoong, just shut it. Those girls are dead now”

* * *

Jaejoong did go to Yunho and his friends bowling night. The latter almost had to drag the former at the last minute, but their bickering at the entrance of the bowling alley got the attention of Heechul who was already inside sitting with other three guys.

“They are here! They are here!” he shouted joyfully “Oh, I can't believe it, he really brought him. This is going to be fun”

Heechul's excited giggles echoed inside Jaejoong's mind menacingly and he feared he would melt into a puddle of mortification if he did not have a drink in the next five seconds.

“Getting cold feet are we?” Heechul teased from his seat.

The place was actually not that bad. It wasn't luxury, but the bar was nice and the decoration was pleasing to the eye. In front of the lanes were clusters of seats with small tables where the players could place their drinks and snacks.

Heechul, Hangeng, Donghae and Yesung were grouped together in front of one lane, already with a few drinks on their table.

Jaejoong detached himself from Yunho's side and ran to the bar to get a drink. Meanwhile, Yunho walked towards his friends to greet them.

“So few of you. Where's the rest?”

“They are late as usual” Heechul complained.

“Siwon had to go see his mother but he will be here” Donghae said with his trademark smile.

“What about Hyukjae?” Yunho asked turning to Yesung.

“He went out with a friend. He said the two of them would stop by if they could”

“Who's replacing him then?”

“I am. I'm man enough for all of you” Yesung said with a serious face. Yunho, Donghae and Hangeng broke in a fit of laughter.

“What about your new friend?” Donghae asked “Introduce us to Changmin's famous substitute”

“Famous? Please, spare me my soul” Heechul grumbled, slouched in his seat.

“Hey, Jaejoong-ah! Jaejoong!” Yunho called Jaejoong, who was standing by the bar only a few meters away, waving his hand in the air. If Jaejoong thought his previous mortification had gone with the first sip, the embarrassment which took over him now could only disappear with the rest of the beer. He gulped it all down, ordered another and approached his doom.

“Kim Jaejoong, let's introduce you to these rascals” Yunho said pulling the brunette closer and snaking an arm around the other man's back. No one seemed to find the move strange besides Jaejoong and Heechul. The lanky man's eye blinked with amusement and, as strange as it may sound, he let it go by unnoticed without much teasing or mocking. Heechul's target had changed from one person to the other and he studied him closely from thereon.

Half an hour later Siwon arrived with Kangin and Leeteuk. The loud party got even louder with their major loudmouth present and they finally started bowling, throwing the balls down the lane with technique and a little too much alcohol at some point. Jaejoong's estranged humor was shattered once he opened his mouth. He and Yesung rapidly became a source of comic relief for the group and after much talk they even discovered they had a friend in common: Park Yoochun.

Yunho got way too serious about his game obviously. Kangin was the first to mock him but he had no morals to speak for himself either. Leeteuk and Siwon had to break them up during a feisty exchange of words, although they all laughed in the end.

“Hey! Look who the cat dragged in!” Yesung yelled as a pair of smiling men entered the bowling alley.

“Hyuk! Junsu!”

“Junsu?”

Jaejoong was delighted to find one of his closest friends there. He threw him a curious look at first, but as soon as the man was within reach he locked him in a hug. Apparently Yoochun wasn't the only friend Jaejoong had in common with Yesung and the rest of Yunho's friends from Homicide.

“How the hell do you even know these people?” Jaejoong asked Junsu incredulous.

“Soccer at the Academy, but I should be the one asking you that, hyung!” Junsu exclaimed.

“Jung Yunho dragged me here” Jaejoong deadpanned.

“Oh, Yunho-sshi? You're getting along fine. I'm glad!”

“No, no, no. It's terrible. Look! He forcefully dragged me here...” Jaejoong started another one of his tirades of accusation and sat comfortably between Junsu and Leeteuk in the farthest seats from Heechul. It was the perfect moment for the latter to plant his seed of evil. His eyes scanned the bowling lanes and he waited for Yunho to finish his turn before calling him over and having him sit right next to him.

“Perfect strike, Yunhooo!”

“Haha, thank you, thank you” Yunho replied proudly. He sat beside Heechul and refreshed his throat with the nearest drink.

“It's a shame Changmin couldn't come. Have you gone to see him?”

“Yeah, a few days ago. But I've called him too”

“He told me another week and he would get out of the hospital” Heechul said with a sad smile.

“He's crazy”

“That's what I've been telling him, but it doesn't make a big difference in that stubborn head of his”

“He is stubborn alright” Yunho agreed.

“Anyway, how are things going with the new stud?” Heechul brought forward his anticipated question cautiously, taking a sip of his drink to mask his ulterior motives as best as possible. Yunho didn't have to think twice about his answer.

“Fine” he answered rotating the glass in his hand. The chunks of ice jiggled inside.

“Define 'fine'”

“Aish... hyung, I don't know” Yunho replied indifferently.

“So you're not biased?”

“Biased?”

Heechul grinned. He had finally managed to catch Yunho's attention.

“Yes, biased. Want dictionary definition? Tending to yield one outcome more frequently than others- exhibiting or characterized by bias-”

“I get it, I get it. I'm just surprised you asked that” Yunho uttered disgruntled.

“You are?”

“Yes, I don't see how come I'm biased. I treat everyone the same, there are no excep-”

“Oh I'll show you, Yunho-yah” Heechul gestured Yunho to come closer “This sole evening I've seen things I'd never seen when Changmin was around. He was not exactly the touchy-feel type so-”

“Changmin and Jaejoong are totally different people!” Yunho pressed aggressively. He was not drunk, nor tipsy. Yunho's conscience did not allow him to get wasted during weeks or weekends; the occasion didn't matter as long as he had work the next day, besides, he had a considerable tolerance to alcohol. Anyhow, he was not seeing the point to the conversation, it all sounded very ridiculous.

“I'm surprised you've got that far” Heechul teased “You're a little dense when it comes to these things. Thick in the head-”

“Have people taken a liking to insult me lately?” Yunho growled to no one in particular. He already had to put up with enough accusations from Changmin and Jaejoong. The first was too crude and the other could not help but to speak his mind. Heechul being mean was not helping those charges.

“It's not meant to offend you. It's just how you are Yunho-yah. Anyway, stop complaining and listen to me for a second. I'm just very fascinated by this change of heart I've witnessed”

Yunho sighed and massaged his forehead out of frustration.

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“Look at them” Heechul said pointing to the jolly group of people in front of them, bowling, talking and drinking “Very friendly right?”

Kangin had just scored a strike and was jumping around mauling the nearest team players into a tight hug while the rest who managed to escape were running away from Siwon's celebratory kisses. On the seats behind the table Jaejoong had an arm around Junsu's shoulders and Yesung had proclaimed Leeteuk's lap as his resting place.

“What's wrong with friendly? Are you drunk?” Yunho said failing to see any problem.

“No, friendly is fine. But none of their looks lingers for long. They don't care if their spit hits the others' eyes. They are not graceful, not even if their mothers were here to slap them every time. You see, there's no waist grabbing, no delicacy, no nothing. And after just meeting him today everyone else is treating Kim Jaejoong like the man he is, except you. That's what fascinates me. I just want to know why”

Yunho's eyes bulged out as he stared at Heechul silently. He didn't know if he felt humiliated or embarrassed or plainly offended. He had known Heechul for a long time. They were great friends, but he didn't know if what his friend was insinuating was the same despairing thing he was thinking.

“Oh, it's your turn next” Heechul informed Yunho suddenly. The former turned towards Hangeng who had just sat by his right side and whispered something in his ear. Then he turned once again to Yunho after cheering on Siwon's latest strike. He had dealt his blow and was now prepared to press on the bruise.

“Go ahead and kiss him if you get a strike. Or you can't?” Heechul sneered “Maybe you want to kiss him when no one's watching?”

Yunho grabbed his jacket and stormed out of the bowling alley. He was not going to take any further shit from Heechul that night.

“Hey, hey! Yunho!”

“Yunho-yah!”

“Where the hell is he going?!” Kangin exclaimed perplexed. Heechul sipped on his drink quietly.

“Headache” he replied.

The group resumed their game after a few disappointed sighs and shrugs of shoulders. However, Jaejoong's glare did not pass by Heechul unnoticed. He had eyed his conversation with Yunho the entire time.


	7. Chapter 7

Whether the cause for Yunho's restlessness had any real basis he honestly didn't know. Heechul's usual teasing had not the habit to strike such a nerve in him and it was a force stronger than his own will that prompted him to leave his seat and get the hell out of that bowling alley. For the most part, Yunho was angry. Firstly at Heechul for spouting stupid things and trying to coax him into saying more stupid things, even complying with his own. Yunho's whole drive to his apartment was spent in a constant remembering of the conversation he had fled from, remembering and remembering. Wondering what he could have said better, wondering what he shouldn't have said, thinking of something he could have thrown back at his friend. It was a big mess of regrets and over-thinking that had turned Yunho self-aware and extremely angry.

By the time he got home he still hadn't decided if he should let the thing go or not. A part of Yunho told him that it was all mockery and a new way Heechul had found to taunt him, and in a way it was. Not only Heechul but the rest of the Homicide policemen liked to tease Yunho, it was common knowledge. His good humored nature allowed it and his unique naivety almost requested it. Aside from an initial embarrassment, Yunho had learned how to deal with it and he even acknowledged the fact that the teasing had fed their bonds and made them closer friends. When he started dating anyone or had a slight crush, or when he crashed a car during a chase, it might even be the meal he had burnt at home, the fact was that the slightest thing was always a good story to tell and laugh about. However, it never had affected Yunho like this. He had never felt so ashamed before.

His insides burned with an unknown sensation and it was like an itch he could not get rid of. He stepped into the bathtub and took a shower to try and forget everything. It was impossible. Needless to say, it's in the shower that major thoughts fall down on people. Yunho was no exception. The more he delved into the subject the worse it got. He cursed the fact he hadn't got drunk. This terrible notion of existing and knowing and thinking would not bother him so much. Everything would have slid past his mind like a dream he didn't have any recollection of. And if indeed he had, it would only make him laugh because he wouldn't have enough judgment to put the joke under serious consideration.

The water fell down on him and he barely felt it. It was a little like Jaejoong actually. Unconsciously pouring over Yunho, making him blind to his own ridiculous actions. Yunho had never dared to compare him to Changmin. Regardless of any partner he may have gotten jumbled with, Yunho would have never compared the two and it was exactly that which might have made him oblivious all this time. He had never thought nor endeavored to favor Jaejoong over anyone else. He treated him the same as he treated everyone. He had told the truth in that matter. However, much to his surprise, and Heechul's as well apparently, that strange favoritism was not the cause of his behavior. Instead, it was a consequence of an unusual spark between the two. This conclusion terrified Yunho completely and accompanied him not only from the bathroom to his bed but also for the rest of the week. It would take him a long time to digest.

He sat on his bed and glanced at the pictures on the bedside table. One was of him and his sister and the other one consisted of them and their parents during some holiday. Yunho often looked at them with nostalgia and fondness. They had never been quite the perfect family nor had they led the best of lives. The four of them had struggled to get where they were today. His sister was studying law in Seoul and their parents were back home in Gwangju cheering on their son and daughter, supporting them when they needed to, which was rarely. It wasn't at all a bad outcome and Yunho could only wish to renew the family with one of his own. It was family honor that pledged him and his own pride as well. It would almost be an act of gratitude towards his parents to continue the legacy. Also, there could not possibly be love without a marriage and family of his own. Yunho reminded himself of these truths often. Nonetheless, today they weighted so lightly. It was like they had never existed in the first place. Yunho didn't know anything anymore.

He laid back on the mattress and allowed a few hypotheses of his own to fill his mind. He began to think how life would be without the responsibility of a family; what he could crave besides that and his job. He had never been anything else. He had never wished for anything else. Heechul's joke had triggered in him a need to review his whole life and to find whatever purpose had propelled him until now. He was not disappointed at what he found but he was not satisfied either. He felt so little and so empty. The loneliness of his apartment didn't help either. The stony cold kitchen he barely stepped on might as well be nonexistent; his small living room served solely as floor and surfaces to drop paperwork he brought from the station. The only place that was truly his was his bedroom and the only comfort there was his bed. Yunho knew, he just knew, that if he walked out and entered all those rooms the house would seem another as if it belonged to a stranger. He was so estranged from life that even his own house was estranged from himself.

Maybe this was not the life he should have pursued. Perhaps there could have been something else he should have done. But what? Staying in Gwangju? Traveling the world? Singing in a stage? Ridiculous. He couldn't be bothered with those ideas. Moreover, his dissatisfaction with himself did not stop at life-choices. It halted to mock all those times he hadn't actually done anything for himself. All those times he had been selfish and narrow-minded. He brought back all those relationships he had ruined and those times he could have taken things further. He never did. Something seemed to stop him every time. And now, now that he was finally mildly happy with nothing to worry him except Changmin's full recovery, he was once again thrown in the pit of misery he knew so well. It was a kind of peaceful anguish though. It didn't torment him to his bones. He didn't want to jump from high buildings or a bridge. He wasn't suicidal. He was just unhappy. Angry at life because nothing happened for him and he couldn't do anything either. He just worked and worked and worked and it fooled him. He convinced himself that was enough, he justified whatever wrongs he did with work, he even stopped visiting his parents because of work.

Yunho ran his hands over his face. He closed his eyes and tried to sleep but it was useless. It would take him more than a night to get over his problems. It would take him his whole life to get over himself.

* * *

The next few days went by uneventfully. Yunho was more than glad to see no trace of Heechul anywhere. It was like he had disappeared deliberately to avoid any retaliation, but Yunho didn't have anything to say to him either. He would bask in his own silence and let Heechul take whatever meaning he wanted from that, thus saving himself the trouble of being willfully misunderstood. The rest of his friends didn't bother him much, Donghae and Hyukjae stopped by the day after bowling to ask him if he was feeling better from the headache, question which Yunho answered reluctantly but affirmatively. Jaejoong was less of a problem than Yunho expected regarding the issue. He didn't say anything at all besides admitting it had been fun and that he had been an idiot to reject it from the beginning. He blabbered further about meeting Junsu there and other common friends but by that time Yunho had already switched off to his own turmoil. During those days after Heechul's stupid 'revelation', Yunho began to find out just how much he could interact with Jaejoong and how awkward it was. It's dispensable to say everything felt weird then. Yunho thought twice about the most random detail and it became a little difficult to look Jaejoong in the eye at some point. He really needed to pull his shit together.

Currently they were discussing their next course of action while having lunch at some cheap restaurant. Jaejoong had flirted a little with the waitress and Yunho was battling with his internal system trying to decide which subject was most important at the moment, the flirting or their case. Blame his habits, the case won.

“I think we should go and check out that neighbor” Yunho said using a straw to poke the ice floating in his beverage. Jaejoong looked at him quizzically.

“That's a whole new level of enthusiasm I've never seen. Really, Yunho-yah. I'm astonished” Jaejoong retorted with irony. Yunho replied with an unfriendly glare. “You mean Seungri's neighbor? The one with black hair? What was his name...”

“Choi something” Yunho answered. He didn't remember the name of the guy either. Just the face. A very intimidating face at that.

“Yeah Choi-something. I'm sure that's his name” Jaejoong chided “Like there aren't- what? 2 million Koreans named Choi?”

“You really want to go that way, Kim?” Yunho replied sarcastically in his turn. Jaejoong sent him a disapproval glance but he got the gist of it.

“Ok whatever. I still don't understand why you want to go check Choi-something”

“He looked suspicious”

“Oh! That's such a professional attitude. Please, let me join your fanclub Inspector Jung”

Yunho decided it was better not to respond anything and ate his noodles in silence. Jaejoong did the same and gulped down his drink. The atmosphere was heavy and for as much as Yunho wanted to make it better he simply couldn't. His stubbornness wouldn’t let him, nor would Jaejoong's antics.

“Would you like another one?” the waitress popped beside their table and took Jaejoong's empty can. Yunho didn't need a fairy godmother by his shoulder to tell him the whole purpose of the gesture. She smile sweetly at Jaejoong and Yunho just slurped his noodles loudly to erase everything from his mind. Sound, view, smell...everything.

“Yes. Thank you very much” Jaejoong nodded to her in a fake smile and then turned towards Yunho with a frown “That's a great image of our department you're getting across. Can't you eat like a human being?”

“I'm enjoying my food. Did you know in Japan you should eat your noodles with a loud noise because it's a compliment to the cook?”

“Well, we're not in the Japan”

“I don't care”

“I can damn well see that-”

“Excuse me” the waitress returned with Jaejoong's drink “Here” she placed it on the table and walked away again hurriedly. The silence that had ensued when she arrived prompted her to disappear as quickly as possible.

“You are so rude today, I don't know what's gotten into you...” Jaejoong mumbled while picking up his new drink.

“You wouldn't know and you wouldn't care” Yunho answered bitterly. Jaejoong almost choked while drinking.

“No one is stopping you from telling!”

“No one is asking me either. And I don't want to anyway” Yunho said finishing the dish before him. Jaejoong played with his chopsticks annoyed.

“Spill it. I want to hear. It must be interesting since it seems to be affecting you so much. Maybe I could hel-”

“No you couldn't. This is not what we came here for. Let's just eat and go back to work” Yunho replied quickly. He didn't want to talk about it much less discuss it with the root of the problem. The only thing Yunho wanted at the moment was to submerge himself in his job and forget his personal problems, though they could not be entirely ignored since he walked around with their source at his side.

After paying for their meal the two men returned to Yunho's car. Jaejoong lit a cigarette and Yunho gathered his inner courage to convince Jaejoong to go with him to Seungri's apartment building and meet the neighbor.

“We have nothing to lose” he argued while sitting in the dead car seat.

“Really? What if someone sees us peeping around? What if we get caught entering somebody's apartment? We got lucky last time” Jaejoong rebuked.

“We won't get caught. That place is a desert-”

“Yeah it's a fucking desert. With a Choi-something living there!”

“Could you stop it with the Choi-something?”

“You're the one who started it”

“I can't remember his name!”

“Neither can I!”

Yunho and Jaejoong locked stares and then turned their heads the opposite way as soon as the dispute reached the inaudible stage once again.

“It won't hurt us” Yunho grumbled.

“It won't do us any good either” Jaejoong replied immediately blowing out a cloud of smoke.

“How do you know that?”

“I know that it's better to wait until they give us the warrant, that's what I know” Jaejoong said decidedly. Yunho could not disagree with that but he did anyway.

“It will take ages! It has been a week since we put it through for a permit. It's only dragging on and on and on and on and on-”

“Ok, I get it. What do you want me do?”

“Come with me check Choi-something” Yunho said, his eyes locked on the road ahead. He sensed Jaejoong turning to look at him from the passenger seat and the skin on his neck burned. His whole face felt hot.

“You're so stubborn...” Jaejoong began. Yunho knew another tirade was coming. He even glanced at Jaejoong for a nanosecond but it ended up stretching into a long minute; a long never ending minute that resumed to nothing but those huge doe eyes plastered on his, digging deeper and deeper into him, filling Yunho out of his emptiness.

His cellphone broke the spell. It chimed violently inside his pocket and Yunho answered not so happily.

“What!” it wasn't even a question but the voice on the other side was not so complacent to take such a greeting without a rebuke.

“Watch out that tone. Were you watching porn during your work or what? I might hang up for all I care” Changmin's voice said angrily. Yunho's furrowed brows returned to their quiet place above his eyes and his face became lax.

“Changminnie, sorry I didn't see the caller ID” Yunho apologized. He turned towards the window to avoid any vision that might include Jaejoong.

“I could tell” Changmin answered dryly.

“How are you doing?” Yunho asked once the frustration was gone completely.

“Better and better every day”

“You're just convincing yourself. Don't rush into it”

“Are you my father now? I'm doing fine, don't worry yourself with my ass more than you should”

“It's not your ass, it's your shoulder I'm worried about” Yunho replied wittily. Jaejoong could hear Changmin's laugh from the other end of the line.

“Anyway, hyung, I wanted to congratulate you on the case. Heechul hyung stopped by and told me it's official now” Changmin said proudly. Yunho's eyes bulged out and he turned to look at Jaejoong very perplexed.

“Really?! I-I mean, thank you! I had no idea. When did he tell you?”

“Just this morning. Where have you been?” Changmin wondered in a tone of surprise.

“I... I overslept. I still haven't stopped by the station. I met Jaejoong on the way and we were having lunch-”

“Oh” was Changmin's first reaction “I don't know if I should comment on you oversleeping or me not being there to tear your house apart as punishment for you neglecting your work” Changmin said rather seriously. Yunho just laughed.

“I'll be grateful if you turn a blind eye on both”

“I'm sure you will. By the way” Changmin cleared his throat “How are you doing?”

Yunho noticed the emphasis and was reluctant to answer. His doubts came creeping back on him instantly and he wondered what else Heechul might have told Changmin in his state of reverie.

“I'm fine as usual” Yunho said casually.

“Thought so”

“What do you mean?”

“Nothing, Heechul hyung just told me funny stories and said you stormed off during bowling the other day” Changmin explained. He didn't sound suspicious but Yunho could tell he was somewhat disappointed.

“Oh that. I- I had a headache and Heechul teased me to my limits” Yunho said with a laugh. He wanted to sound convincing and indifferent but he felt himself failing terribly. He looked sideways and saw Jaejoong looking down at his feet as if they were the next world wonder. How awkward it all was.

“He can be a real bastard sometimes” Changmin's voice brought back Yunho's focus “Anyway, hyung, you must have more important things to do. Stop by and tell me how the case is going one of these days. Or you can go directly to my house because I don't plan to stay here a week longer”

“The doctor will decide on that Changminnie”

“Yeah, yeah. Bye” Changmin grumbled and hung up. Yunho closed his cellphone shut and put it back in his pocket.

“Big news, uh?” Jaejoong's question invoked an explanation.

“Oh, yes. The car crash case is officially ours. The papers finally went through” Yunho said excitedly. Jaejoong sighed with relief but did not let the subject go so easily.

“How come no one told us that yet?”

“I didn't drop by the station this morning so I didn't know anything. You?”

“I left home and came to meet you. But someone should have called by now-”

As if by telepathy Yunho received another call at that moment. It was a secretary girl from Homicide telling them the bureaucracy was over with and they needed to stop by to sign the rest of the papers. Yunho thanked her and then they both drove off to the station.

* * *

When they arrived the first thing they saw was Yoochun sitting in the front steps having a smoke. He waved at Jaejoong with a big smile and the latter returned it.

“Chunnie!” Jaejoong walked up to him smiling.

“Hey hyung!” They shook hands until Jaejoong twisted them into a hug.

Yunho locked the car and watched the display with a sense of foreboding. It wasn't dread or disgust. He simply could not stop wondering how incredibly wrong it would be if it were him there hugging Jaejoong. He was so self-aware that the mere idea felt like a painful punch in the stomach. He had lost the privilege to those affectionate gestures and it hurt to acknowledge it.

“Junsu told me he saw you the other day at bowling. He was with Hyukjae”

“Yeah. I went there because of Yunho” Jaejoong told Yoochun with half a smile. Yunho caught up with them at the front steps and nodded at Yoochun.

“Ah, Yunho-sshi, how are you?” Yoochun greeted him politely.

“Good, how are you? It's been a while”

Yoochun nodded with a smiley face and then, eying the two partners attentively, took a step back.

“I must be interrupting something. You were just going in, right?”

“Yeah, we came to sign some papers. They finally handed us the car crash case, the one with the dead girl in the trunk” Jaejoong said in a flaunt manner. Yoochun congratulated them on the spot.

“That's great news! We should celebrate or something!”

“Yeah! I was thinking the same. We haven't gone out to drink in ages” Jaejoong replied eagerly.

“What about tonight? Ten o'clock, usual place?” Yoochun suggested.

“Sure. We'll be done with our share of work by that time” Jaejoong agreed smiling. Yoochun grinned back and patted both Jaejoong and Yunho's shoulders.

“I'll be expecting you two then. I'll see if Junsu can come along” he threw his cigarette butt away and took out his phone “Go on, I'll call him now since I'm on a break”

Jaejoong understood and resumed climbing the front steps of the police station. Yunho trailed behind him feeling distressed. It was ironic how his current situation mirrored that of Jaejoong just a few days ago. He had not even been given the option of choosing if he wanted to go or not. It was outrageous and he regretted putting Jaejoong through the whole ordeal now that he was in his shoes. Surely Jaejoong had taken back his words afterward and actually enjoyed the evening, but Yunho had not. As a matter of fact, he had been the one whose night had been ruined with silly suppositions and unwelcome opinions. Who knew what another night of drinks and fun would do to him? Although Heechul would not be around to mess with his head again, the fruits of his labor definitely would and those were precisely the ones that came to twist Yunho's stomach into a knot. His anxiety was already shooting through the roof, but he calmed himself down. He just needed to stay focused and normal. He just needed to stay the fuck normal.

“Is this payback?” the tone in Yunho's question demanded a straight answer. Jaejoong gave it genuinely.

“Yes” he replied.

They climbed the stairs to their office, as if both minds agreed that some physical exercise would allow them to blow off steam.

“Still, you could have asked me” Yunho insisted a few steps behind Jaejoong.

“Where's the fun in that?”

“I asked you!” Yunho protested. Jaejoong stopped in the middle of the staircase abruptly.

“Listen to this!” he breathed heavily and gesticulated the rest “You told me in the beginning you barely had time to go out drinking with all the work on your hands. But, hey!, look at this walking contradiction, he actually has time to go bowling with his friends!”

“Once in a while, yes! What of it?” Yunho in his internal havoc barely listened to what the other man was saying. Jaejoong's figure towering above him brought their faces quite close.

“...then you have time to go drink with me!” the brunette concluded with a fury. Yunho was much too agitated to reply anything civil.

“Who's the judge of that?!”

“I am” Jaejoong said simplemindedly. His sincere answer softened Yunho's heart and he yielded. However not without a petty inclination of his own; if such was prompted by his pride in pursuit of winning the argument or a desire to tease, he could not be certain at the moment.

“Ask me then” Yunho said clenching a fist. He was not in total control of his body and he doubted he could contain the need to reach for Jaejoong's arm if he didn't do it.

“You're really something!” Jaejoong said. His eyes were wide open and a certain spark in them told Yunho he was lingering between anger and joy. It was a relief knowing he could read Jaejoong so well at stressful times like these. But Yunho also knew that later on he would turn around awake in bed, tormenting himself about how fast he had learned to read Jaejoong and how rewarding it felt every time he succeeded in doing it so perfectly.

“I know” Yunho told him with an apologetic smile “I'm waiting” he added.

Jaejoong turned towards him positively furious.

“What? You want me to beg? Plead on my knees? Fine! If you don't wanna go, don't! I won't make you! Spares me the trouble of stooping down to your level”

“Wait Jaejoong-” The clenching fist loosened up quicker than Yunho predicted. He grabbed Jaejoong's arm not too violently and tried to patch things up, or what was left of them.

“I'll go, I'll go. No need to get upset about it” Yunho declared delighted. Jaejoong noticed his stifled laugh and felt embarrassed enough.

“I'm not upset about it! You're the one getting on my nerves” He said berated, brushed Yunho's hand away and scampered away without another word.

* * *

After signing the official papers regarding the car crash case, Yunho and Jaejoong slumped down in their respective seats pouring over all the evidence and testimonies so far; searching desperately for a piece of information that might light their way on the complex pair of cases. Daesung's recent testimony had given them new facts but nothing more. The roads were still closed and both Jaejoong and Yunho's troubled spirits did not ease the situation. They could only speculate.

“Let's assume that both cases are related” Yunho began “Hyunjoong, the drug dealer and Seungri, the driver of the car who crashed last week, knew each other. Seungri called Hyunjoong seconds before the car exploded-”

“Forty-five seconds before the car exploded” Jaejoong corrected him, reading the details from a tech report “And it wasn't Seungri who called Hyungjoon, it was the other way around”

“Ok, so forty-five seconds before the explosion occurred Hyunjoong called Seungri. He must have warned him about the bomb or else Seungri wouldn't have jumped out of the car”

“You are supposing Hyunjoong was behind the explosives on the kid's car?”

Yunho nodded.

“Fine, but still forty-five seconds is a lot of time just to say you have put a bomb in his car. They must have talked about something other than the bomb” Jaejoong said logically.

“That would be either the heroin in Seungri's pockets or the dead girl in the car” Yunho suggested.

“Could be both, but we don't know why or who she was so we can't say much about her. Only that Seungri's gun killed her”

“Not only his gun. His fingerprints were on the gun. He killed her” Yunho deadpanned.

“Someone could have killed her with Seungri's gun, cleaned off his 'prints and returned it to the owner” Jaejoong insisted. Yunho tried not to laugh derisively.

“And you think Seungri just lost sight of his gun so someone could use it to kill his girlfriend?” he inquired amused.

“Until I know more about about their relationship I don't see how he could have killed her. What motives could he have?”

“I don't know, but we have to take it into consideration. Murder does not always have good reasons. Sometimes it's an accident, others it's just plain stupidity” Yunho replied with a sigh. Jaejoong went mute “Besides, there were signs of a fight in his apartment. If he didn't fight with his girlfriend what else could have happened? Hyunjoong stormed in to kill both of them because of the heroin? You think Seungri might have stolen it from him?” Yunho wondered.

“It's possible” Jaejoong said gravely “Hyunjoong might have gone to visit them at the apartment, gotten into a fight with Seungri because of the heroin and then threatened him, thus ending up killing the girl. It's just a guess”

“But there was no blood on the apartment” Yunho stated.

“Maybe he cleaned it after”

“Who? Seungri?”

“Yeah. Hyunjoong must have fled after killing her, giving Seungri time to clean it up”

Yunho paused for a second to ponder on the idea.

“But Seungri had a gun-”

“Hyunjoong used it” Jaejoong remembered him “He used it, cleaned it and threw it back”

“That's just stupid. With Seungri right there in front of him?” Yunho refused the idea completely. It just didn't sound plausible.

“What about this!” Jaejoong recaptured his attention excited “Seungri was not at home. There was only his girlfriend there and he left the gun there too. Hyunjoong came and she must have known him or she wouldn't have let him in. Remember the front door was immaculate, no signs of breaking in. Then there was a fight of sorts. He managed to grab the gun and killed her. Then he cleaned everything up and stored her in the trunk of Seungri's car, which he must have recognized since they were acquainted and-”

“Wait, wait, wait” Yunho interrupted a little confused “That would mean Seungri had gone out without his car”

“Yes” Jaejoong nodded “If you go out to the grocery shop or just somewhere nearby to buy a pack of smokes you wouldn't take your car or even the car keys with you” Jaejoong said.

“That's speculating way too much” Yunho replied with arms crossed, though he was very impressed at Jaejoong's creativity and narration skills.

“I though we were just speculating” the brunette pouted.

Yunho looked away, losing sight of the pout for his own good, and tried to resume their reasoning.

“We need further proof to back that guess, but it's the best we have until now. Although, Seungri's fingertips on the gun don't help us incriminate Hyunjoong, at least we know the two of them are connected. We need that warrant to search the house with the forensics team as soon as possible” Yunho said desperately.

“And we also need to know who the girl is” Jaejoong added.

“Yes... we do need that”


	8. Chapter 8

Nothing of substance was concluded that day. Their speculations could go on for hours as they went, but nothing definite was set regarding either case. The only thing that connected the two was the apparent connection between Seungri and primary suspect Hyunjoong. Apart from that, Yunho and Jaejoong were grasping air. Seungri was unable to talk since he was still confined to his hospital bed, Hyunjoong had escaped with the help of his associate almost two weeks ago and the burnt girl remained unidentified. Moreover, the other girl who overdosed on Yunho and might probably reveal further information about Hyunjoong's whereabouts was still comatose. Everything was at a standstill and such inability to act weighted down on the two inspectors greatly.

“Forget everything. Focus on this” Yunho cleared his throat for the nth time that evening. The table before him, aside from presenting the usual piles of papers and folders, included in its midst half a dozen cups of coffee Yunho had absorbed like a sponge during the evening.

“Remember Daesung's testimony?” He groped around for the sheet with the young man's words written down “He said he saw five men. Four leaving the house and one driving the car that led their escape. We can be sure that one of the four men leaving the house was Hyunjoong and another his accomplice. What if- what if Seungri was one of those four men too? The pool slaughter occurred days before the car crash and Seungri was obviously involved with Hyunjoong. Something must have happened at the pool house or afterwards which incited the bombing...”

Jaejoong's eyes were fixated on Yunho in a blunt effort to understand more clearly what the other man was saying. They had been exchanging ideas like this for hours and it was taking its toll on him.

“Yes, yes, yes... but I don't think you're being thorough enough. It's just a supposition anyway”

“Jaejoong, you're not helping”

“Sorry about that, I'm tired”

“So am I”

“But we are not getting anywhere. Also, it's almost 8 o'clock...” Jaejoong complained while stretching his back. He swiveled his chair to look at the clock hanging on the wall behind him. When he realized what time it actually was he jumped in his seat.

“What the hell?! It's ten past nine already!?”

Yunho glanced at the clock unfazed.

“So what? It's early” he said straight out. Jaejoong's once numbed stare locked on Yunho completely shocked.

“Don't you have a life? It's fucking late I tell you!” he exclaimed “I still need to go home and change and eat something before meeting Chun. You should do the same”

“Uh?” Yunho looked at him a little confused.

“Tonight you're going out drinking with us!” Jaejoong reminded him, though it sounded more like a threat. Yunho woke up from his sluggish mood alarmed. He had almost forgotten it.

“Oh that, yeah...”

“I gotta go” Jaejoong announced grabbing his jacket hanging on the back of his chair and putting it on “You should too” he advised.

“Yeah, sure. I'll just go over a few more things here and-” Yunho glued his stare on the desk to avoid Jaejoong's gaze yet he still managed to hear the brunette yelling loudly at him from the exit of the office.

“You better be there!”

* * *

 Yunho's guilty conscience prevented him from deliberately delaying his preparations for the night out. Yoochun had told them to be at the place at 10PM and at 10PM sharp Yunho planned to be there. It would go against his better judgment if he did otherwise. Whatever pent up anxiety he had about the meeting it went away easily as soon as he decided this. Yunho was determined to accept things as they were. Fret about them would not help him in any way. He realized he was being incredibly childish about the subject and he should not repress what he did not understand. Yunho was going to give Jaejoong and Yoochun an opportunity and above all, he was going to give an opportunity to himself to get over his questionable intentions brought to mind by Heechul's spiteful commentaries.

Yunho left the police station minutes after Jaejoong. He drove to his house and took a quick shower once he arrived. He dressed casually, not worrying much about his appearance, though he did take off the last pair of bandages that still partly covered his neck. The scratch wounds left on his skin by the girl's nails had healed but pink scars remained. Yunho stroked them with his fingers, searching for any enduring pain or prickling sensations but he felt none. Then he entered his small kitchen looking for something to eat. He managed to rescue some leftovers from the fridge and heated them up in the microwave, refusing to acknowledge how degrading that was. Perhaps he was too used to it.

While his dinner rotated to edible temperatures in the microwave, Yunho returned to his bedroom to check his cellphone. Of course it wasn't there. He looked around for a bit, searching his pockets and any recently opened drawers but it was useless. The living room gave him as much information about the cellphone thus he had to resort to his home phone to track it down. The moment he picked it up he noticed he had received lots of calls and two messages. He grimaced instantly. His mother and sister had been conjecturing again. He ignored them for the time being and dialed his cellphone. He heard it ringing in the bathroom.

“Didn't look there...” he sighed in relief.

He picked it up near the sink, finally remembering he had left it there when he took off his pants, and checked for any calls from Jaejoong. He had none, just a vague message with the bar's address and a badly typed renewal of his earlier threat. Yunho smiled at the detail and went back to the kitchen where the microwave had already beeped the end of its routine.

It was probably out of sadistic curiosity that Yunho decided to listen to his mother and sister's messages while he ate his meal, that or a very sickening family bond. He didn't know why he still allowed the two women to impose their gossip on him like that. He would not deny that it was entertaining at times but usually it concerned either one of them meeting some possible future daughter-in-law or sister-in-law and Yunho was more than happy to overlook that part. He knew they were beginning to feel desperate, especially his mother. The fact she had not dropped by his front door yet was terrifying. Her message felt like an ultimatum even, but Yunho simply shrugged his shoulders. As long as he had his job he was safe. He had something to shield him from the two overprotecting women of his life. Besides they had not blabbered to his father yet. Things tended to complicate once they reached that point.

It was barely ten when Yunho left his apartment. He had planned to walk to the bar but he was way too late for that. He got into his car and sped away to the address Jaejoong had sent him. He parked the car in a place nearby and walked around aimlessly. It was the problem with bars in that district, they all seemed the same to him and they had the shadiest entries one could think of. The busy streets filled with eager youths did not help him either. Fortunately, a hand grabbed the collar of his jacket from behind, giving him a scare. He almost reached for his gun but Jaejoong's eyes told him he was not going to need it.

“Calm down, it's just me” he said with a smile “Did I scare you?”

“A little, yeah...” Yunho mumbled. He straightened up his jacket and tried to take his eyes off the other man. It was a novelty to see his partner dressed so differently. Jaejoong was not flamboyant or eccentric in what he chose to wear, it was just strange for Yunho to see him out of the looser pants they wore at work and fitted into tight jeans, V-neck shirts and everything else stylish he wore. He had pretty good taste. Also his usual brown hair, which was dyed, had begun to lose its original color thus giving him a sort of blonde glow. It was a very captivating look and it seemed effortless, like he was in his natural element. Yunho cringed mentally, feeling embarrassed and not knowing exactly why.

“Looking good!” Jaejoong exclaimed happily, slapping Yunho's arm. He stepped closer and dared to grab the taller man's chin for a better view of his newly exposed neck. Yunho was sure his pores would fume with the scalding warmness he felt inside.

“I thought it was time to take the patches off” Yunho answered leaning slightly back “You don't look bad yourself” he added. The observation seemed to have successfully pulled Jaejoong away and he just laughed with a satisfied blush.

“I don't have what it takes to look good in everything so I might as well take opportunities like this” Jaejoong said half-smiling, half-morosely and jabbing a finger in Yunho's chest.

“Don't point at me. I just grab the first thing that comes to my hand” Yunho said defensively.

“Precisely” Jaejoong answered. He glanced at the watch in his wrist “We're already late. Come on this way”

Jaejoong led Yunho to the bar and when they entered the waiter took them directly to Yoochun's table. Apparently he and Jaejoong were usual customers there. They ordered their drinks and shortly afterwards Yoochun began to explain why Junsu had not been able to come. It had something to do with going to a PC Bang with his brother. They talked about him for a while, Yoochun and Jaejoong mostly just dropped their complaints about their friend and Yunho laughed at them. Once the waiter returned with their drinks they toasted to the official handing of the case. After that they did not speak about work again, Yunho noticed it after a couple of hours. Maybe that was why it was so easy to talk to them and so strange at the same time. It gave room to more personal conversations and exchanges of opinion which turned out to be interesting and funny. Jaejoong and Yoochun were not very common people to begin with. Jaejoong being the blabbering machine he was just wouldn't stop once he started on something and Yoochun seemed to partake his views on almost everything. They seemed both very close and Yunho felt there was a barrier he would never be able to cross. Perhaps he was taking his assumptions too seriously, but one could tell how great friends those two were. Sometimes they even finished each other' sentences. It was hilarious. The drinks benefited the cause too.

Although Yunho did not drink enough to lose self-control, the other two were tipsy a lot sooner than they expected. Jaejoong's drinking pace alone was an incredible thing. Yoochun teased him about it several times and Yunho agreed. Jaejoong held himself to his reputation though, drinking and babbling nonstop for hours, even quietly listening to the other two men. He seemed pretty normal until he had to excuse himself to the bathroom at the end of the night. Yunho and Yoochun stayed behind, conspiring and laughing behind his back.

“Will he be ok?” Yunho asked after Jaejoong got out of sight. Yoochun sipped his drink with a funny expression and nodded with his head.

“Sure. It's just an excuse to go look himself in a mirror” he jeered while putting down his glass. Yunho laughed. It wasn't surprising for some reason.

“So, you've lived in America, how awesome was that?” he asked Yoochun absentmindedly. They had just been talking about the issue and the idea seemed surreal for Yunho who had never stepped out of his country.

“Not much. I was there with my mother and brother. Rough times...” Yoochun said sadly “But I guess what does not kill you only makes you stronger” he added more confidently. Yunho patted his shoulder and both drank to that gesture. It seemed appropriate enough.

“When did you come back?”

“Aish... I don't know for certain, ten years ago? Maybe more” Yoochun answered with furrowed eyebrows. He tried to recall the exact date but his mind was too blurry at the moment.

“Was that when you met Jaejoong? You seem long time friends” Yunho remarked. Yoochun laughed loudly and crossed his legs.

“No, no! We're good friends, but I only met him at work four years ago”

“Oh I see”

Yunho nodded in agreement but stopped once his mind made the math. How could he have known Jaejoong for four years if the latter had only worked at Records for two? The relaxed and elated expression disappeared from Yunho's face as rapidly as it had come. A few doubts did not take long to press in.

“You mean when you worked at Records, when I first visited you?” Yunho threw his question cautiously, hoping that Yoochun would deny it or at least correct himself. But he didn't.

“Yeah, yeah...” he responded hazily.

Yunho grimaced mentally and tried to disregard the matter. He began to think perhaps Yoochun was too inebriated to even think about things properly and therefore he let the subject go. Who knew? Maybe the two had worked together somewhere before. Nevertheless, Jaejoong had indeed said he had only worked at Records for two years and at that time he had been in perfect sound condition. His résumé didn't speak of anything other than that either. It seemed a fishy business and Yunho was determined to find out more about it in the future. However, for the time being, Yoochun didn't allow him to inquire any further since his phone began vibrating on top of the table, rattling away and interrupting the conversation.

“Oh, it's my brother” Yoochun announced once he took a peek at the caller ID “Sorry, I have to take this”.

Yunho gave him a nod and leaned back in his seat. Yoochun put the phone to his ear and a big grin appeared on his face as he heard his brother speak on the other end of the line. Yunho could only wish to feel the same way every time his sister called. He didn't resent her, he loved her and he loved speaking with her but lately their chit-chats were just too much for him to bear. At least he still had Changmin to help him vent out some frustration.

Yoochun's chat was short lived and as soon as his call ended he stored the phone in his pocket. He looked anxious.

“Everything ok?” Yunho asked worried.

“Yeah, everything's fine, but I have to go. My brother thinks the dog ran out” Yoochun replied, standing up in a gawkish manner.

“Oh...” was the only syllable able to leave Yunho's mouth. His brain was too busy processing what would follow Yoochun's statement and unfold once he was gone. Yunho did not approve of his guessing.

“Where's hyung? Is he still in there?” Yoochun wondered turning around towards the restroom door “Maybe something did happen besides a broken mirror...” he mumbled and then he walked towards it. He was reaching for the door handle when Jaejoong walked out, happy smile etched on his face. God, he was drunk.

“Hyung! Hyung, are you ok?” Yoochun chuckled. He grabbed one of Jaejoong's shoulders and tried to get his attention “Hey hyung, I have to go, Yoohwan called. He thinks Harang ran away” Yoochun tried to explain but Jaejoong just stumbled and knocked his head on Yoochun's shoulder.

“Watch out hyung. You should go home and lay down too”

“Yes, yes, yes. I am fine thank you” Jaejoong told him, standing up more vigorously.

“I'm going. Just don't drink anymore and stay close to Yunho hyung, ok?” Yoochun advised him and turned towards Yunho whose skin was becoming paler each second that ran by.

“Hyung take care of hyung, ok?” Yoochun asked him, laughing when he noticed how funny he had sounded.

“Bye-bye Chunnie, kiss Harang for me~” Jaejoong said hugging what he could of Yoochun. The latter hugged him back and after paying his check at the counter left with an apologetic wave of hand.

“Don't worry, he is quite lovable when he is drunk” Yoochun murmured near Yunho's ear.

Yunho answered him with silent awkwardness and mouth agape. He had no idea what to say to that. When Yoochun left the premises Yunho felt Jaejoong slump in the seat next to him. He rested his head on the back of the comfortable chair and tried to inhale sobriety.

“Jaejoong-ah? How are you feeling?” Yunho asked, but he didn't get any reply.

“Don't you dare fall asleep here” he grunted when Jaejoong failed to open his eyes. His chest moved slowly up and down in accordance to his calm breathing. Yunho cursed himself and Yoochun mentally. The current state of affairs was just terrible. How the hell was he supposed to take care of Jaejoong? The guy could barely get up on his own, much less go home by himself! And, speaking of home, where did Jaejoong live? Yunho had absolutely no idea. He would have to take the drunken man home with him.

“Damn it” Yunho rose up to his feet and slapped Jaejoong's thigh “Wake up sleepyhead, we're going home”

Jaejoong's peaceful sleeping expression contorted into a painful grim and he refused to open his eyes, shutting them tightly.

“Impossible” he uttered “My head is going to explode. Get me another drink, will you?”

“In your dreams” Yunho replied. He paid for their expenses and returned to the table “Come on, get up” he said, hands resting on his hips hoping Jaejoong would rise on his own. Unfortunately, nothing would go according to Yunho's wishes.

“Wait, wait” Jaejoong mumbled. He brought a palm to his head and rubbed his temples “Just wait. Let me rest for five minutes and have another-”

“None of that” Yunho cut him short. He gulped down a mountain of resolve and before he knew it he had his hands under Jaejoong's arms, pulling him up. Jaejoong groaned displeased.

“No- no... I can't yet. Shit. My head...”

Yunho intentionally neglected the complains and dragged him out of the bar. He swung Jaejoong's right arm around his shoulders and placed one arm around his waist. The idea seemed to work until Jaejoong gave up completely a minute later. His legs lost balance, his knees gave up and Yunho almost fell to the ground after him.

“Jaejoong-ah” Yunho breathed heavily and squatted in front of Jaejoong “You're the worst drunk ever” he told him. Jaejoong would have laughed if not for the awful headache jabbing his skull..

“Shut up” he replied with a pout. Yunho's affectionate urges got the best of him and he ruffled Jaejoong's hair. His hand was dangerously willing to caress the sulking face, but he managed to constrain himself.

“So, how are we going to get out of this predicament?” Yunho sighed “I can't leave you here so bear with it a little longer until we get to the car” he said somewhat desperate.

Yunho was about to pull Jaejoong up once again when two claws griped the front of his jacket. Jaejoong's move jerked Yunho downwards and the brunette buried his head in his chest. Yunho's heart began racing immediately, pumping more and more blood throughout his startled system. Too fearful to look down, Yunho glanced at his hands instead, wondering what to do with them and how come he had been bestowed with such a stupid pair of limbs. Jaejoong's hot breath rapidly seeped through the layers of his shirt warming his skin. Yunho had to undo whatever was happening and quickly. Fortunately, Jaejoong eased his panic before it triggered any extreme measures.

“Carry me on your back... I really can't walk now” Jaejoong managed to say. He wobbled away from Yunho's chest in order to meet his eyes and check if he had been understood. Yunho bobbed his head in response and turned around. His mind was so worried about his erratic heartbeat that he did not have any trouble getting Jaejoong on his back. Besides, the man wasn't very heavy and the new option turned out to be more comfortable than dragging the brunette along in flimsy steps.

“Better” Jaejoong slurred. His head was buried somewhere near Yunho's nape and the breathing sensation oozing near the place began driving the taller man crazy. He could only be glad that Jaejoong was unable to see his face or notice his discomfort. He adjusted Jaejoong with a jostle and began the arduous walk towards the car.

“You own me such a big one” Yunho muttered between gritted teeth. He was surprised when he felt Jaejoong giggling behind him “Yeah I bet it's really fun for you”

“A little...” Jaejoong replied. Yunho could almost feel the smile kissing his shoulder.

“See if I drop you”

“You wouldn't dare”

“Where's the headache, uh?”

“Still there, but it doesn't hurt so much this way...”

“You're a great liar, you know that?” Yunho grumbled.

“Oh, more than you think” Jaejoong said with another set of giggles.

Yunho just groaned and roughly jerked the brunette to adjust the grip he had on his legs.

“Ow! Watch it!” Jaejoong grumbled furiously. He brought a hand to his head, unlacing it from its previous position around Yunho's neck. The latter almost regretted having riled him up.

“Be gentle with me. You don't want my brains scattered all over the sidewalk I hope” Jajeoong whined.

“Who knows...” Yunho replied. He wasn't very conscious of what he was saying. His mind was too occupied with the sensation of Jaejoong's body pressed against his back.

“I know” Jaejoong answered happily. His arm returned to its position around Yunho's neck and he held on tightly.

For some reason, the longer Yunho walked the less tension he felt. Carrying Jaejoong around was proving to be quite beneficial despite the initial awkwardness.

“So, question for Yunho~” Jaejoong chirped a bit hazily.

“What now?”

“You can only pick one” Jaejoong instructed by his ear “Murderers, rapists or corrupts?”

“What kind of question is that?”

“Who are the absolute worst?”

“What the hell?” Yunho exclaimed tiredly “You can't put it that way...”

“Pick one” Jaejoong insisted. He tapped Yunho's leg with his foot in midair.

“You're too drunk to take this seriously” Yunho mumbled after the affronting kick.

“And you are not~” Jaejoong replied playfully.

“Jaejoong-ah, are you testing my patience?”

“What about backstabbers? Oh, those are rotten. Dreadful. I can't have those...” Jaejoong began another mumbling tirade of his own. Yunho had to strain his ear to hear him even though Jaejoong's mouth might as well have been glued to his neck “I just want to be saved really... Can you save me? Don't you want to save me, Yunho-yah...? It's troublesome I know, but they, well, hard work, you know... always always always, it's so difficult.. aish... my head...”

Whatever it was Jaejoong was trying to convey to him, it didn't make any sense. Yunho gave up trying to understand him after two helpless pauses and by the time they reached the car he was eager to let go of the bodily weight on his back. Jaejoong slid down carefully and his feet touched the ground clumsily. Yunho opened the car door for him and Jaejoong was able to enter on his own, slouching on the passenger seat at once.

“I'm jelly~~”

“Pain in the ass-jelly” Yunho replied. He closed the door loudly and doubted for a moment if he was taking care of a six year old or a grown adult.

Yunho buckled both seat belts and took off towards his apartment. Jaejoong had fallen into a fragile sleep midway and was scrunching up his face as the street lights hit him directly. Yunho amused himself with the sight during the drive.

* * *

They arrived around three in the morning and Yunho was lucky to find a parking space near the entrance of the building.

“Jaejoong-ah, hey...” he patted Jaejoong's arm softly and tried to catch his attention. Jaejoong woke up and stepped out sluggishly, holding onto Yunho's arm for support. Yunho locked the car and proceeded to the front door of the building with an arm wrapped around Jaejoong's slim waist.

“I know it won't be easy but we have to climb a few stairs” Yunho said nervously.

“What?” Jaejoong's muffled exclamation died in contact with Yunho's jacket.

“It's only to the second floor” Yunho argued.

“Then let's do it quickly” Jaejoong decided suddenly. He detached himself from Yunho's support and scurried away towards the narrow staircase.

Yunho followed him more worried than surprised. He could foresee Jaejoong losing his footing and stumble on his feet at any second. Jaejoong's wobbly figure climbed up the stairs unsteadily and he tripped as soon as he began the ascent to the second floor. Yunho managed to catch him from behind and prevent his fall. Jaejoong was obviously very entertained and his blinding smile was contagious.

“Don't laugh! We're almost there” Yunho chided.

“Don't fuss! We're not half-way yet!” Jaejoong mimicked with a big grin.

Yunho's inability to answer aggravated severely when Jaejoong lost his step again and bumped heads with him.

“Shit!”

Jaejoong groaned at the painful contact but he had reached the point where everything was amusing. He steadied his figure a couple of steps above Yunho and leaned down to kiss his forehead. The latter had no way to avoid it. Jaejoong's relentless hands held his head in place and the touch of his lips came as quickly as the previous violent shock. Needless to say, such effort to ease the pain was beyond effective if not partially damaging. Yunho's heart nearly jumped to his throat and he struggled to find words or actions with which to reply.

“There!” Jaejoong said proudly though he did not pull back completely much to Yunho's dismay. He let his forehead fall down to the place where his lips had been and closed his eyes, assessing the situation and making sure his cure took effect.

Yunho looked at him with goggled eyes, unsure of everything. The unbearable proximity was intoxicating him. Spams ran through his body making the hands holding onto Jaejoong's sides tremble slightly. Yunho felt himself at the edge of a cliff. He might have been staring into an endless pit and not believing it. The real concrete concerns that bounded him to earth abandoned him. Having Jaejoong so close, so tenderly, so impossibly near him was beyond anything he could imagine. Yunho never thought such a degree of discomposure could exist and yet, it felt so right. Something other than his fears and regrets and confusion screamed loudly in his head. Something altogether so different it could probably breathe walk and bleed on its own.

Yunho was surprised that nothing of such internal beast had overflowed outwardly. The roaring echoes in his heart flared his thoughts and it was a wonder how Jaejoong was still unaware of his absolute madness.

“Oh. What's this?” Jaejoong's laughter ceased and gave way to an innocent query. Yunho felt a finger trace the skin next to his eye and forehead.

“Were these here before?”

Yunho's scars pounded forcefully, summoning a foreign pain that demanded being harvested with kisses.

“Y-yes” he responded.

“How come I never noticed them?” Jaejoong murmured perplexed. His eyes were groggy, dropping under perfect lashes and telling Yunho he would soon lose the remaining strength that kept him standing.

“You were never this close” Yunho replied bluntly.

Jaejoong just smiled in return before sinking into Yunho's arms. He had reached his limit. Yunho took the opportunity to hoist him over his shoulder, not without protest, and climb the rest of the stairs to the second floor.

“Yah, I'm definitely going to die now!” Jaejoong bellowed.

“You'll wake up the whole building if you keep shouting”

“Then let me down, down! I'll vomit all over!”

“Avoid the carpets please. My mother bought them” Yunho said, hoping that the random information would distract Jaejoong from the possible retching occurrence. It seemed to work.

Yunho tapped the front door of the apartment with his foot and closed it softly. Then he headed for his bedroom and dropped Jaejoong on the bed. The brunette landed delicately on the mattress and curled into a ball along with the bedsheets. Slumber washed over him instantly and he closed his eyes. Yunho took off Jaejoong's shoes and brought them to the tiny hall near the threshold where he left them next to his own. The unusual sight bore a hole in his already disturbed mood and Yunho fled to the the living room to avoid further leaps of imagination. With a swift motion he cleared the paperwork cluttering the sofa and laid down on his back with jeans, shirt, jacket and socks included. He was too tired to move a muscle. His flesh was mingling with the fabric beneath him and he could only hope it would calm the monster tugging at his heartstrings.

It had been a long time since he had felt like so devoid of reason and control. Both were sipping through his fingers as if water yet Yunho wasn't too willing to grasp them. He was unconsciously letting them slip away, stripping himself bare of all those intangible weights that hindered his jump over the cliff.

It would be so much easier to simply hate Jaejoong or at least disregard him completely, but the more Yunho got to know him the harder it got. Nothing about him requested anything but adoration and Yunho knew this was just the prelude.


	9. Chapter 9

At first Jaejoong didn't know where he was. His eyes were mere slits of light in the darkness and the room around him was completely unknown to him. Nevertheless, there was something about it welcoming and harmless which made him feel secure. The smell of the mattress and sheets was likewise soothing and if not for his extreme curiosity Jaejoong would have stayed there and indulged in a few more hours of sleep. He could tell it was early from the faint light entering the room and giving shape to the shadows. It was probably near sunrise.

He sat up slowly and as soon as he lifted his head a familiar headache stunned him forcing him to gasp. Nothing about it was surprising. Jaejoong didn't need further proof to understand the past night had been filled with a number of drinks he should have thought twice about. The memories came back to him gradually and as soon as Yunho was thrown into the mix he understood where he was. He knew the ceiling of his and Yoochun's room way too well. Jaejoong had woken up after many a drunken night underneath them, yet this one was knew and so was the bed and the sheets and the room. For a moment Jaejoong felt his cheeks burning hot. The possibility of him being in Yunho's bedroom was somehow pleasing and he felt embarrassed. It was enough for him to remember meeting his partner on the street the previous night looking aloof and lost. The sight had amused him greatly but the entertainment only lasted until he turned the man around and looked at his perfect face no longer bruised and hidden behind bandages. Jaejoong had thought himself immune to it but drink after drink he still felt his knees weak and melting inside.

He took a deep breath and stepped out of the bed determined to find the bathroom and splash cold water on his face. He was already up on his feet when the cluttered bedside table caught his attention. Amidst half a dozen empty bottles of water and energy drinks there were a couple of family pictures which prompted Jaejoong to turn on the light. A smile instantly spread across his face as he took a better look at them and saw a much younger Yunho standing beside his parents with crooked teeth and a younger sister wrapped in his arms. He couldn't be more than twelve years old at the time, with the beach and sunny sky behind him. Then there was a recent picture of the two siblings both in their twenties, though Yunho looked much younger with his almond shaped eyes sparkling while he smiled sweetly towards the camera. Jaejoong felt proud and his blush intensified. He put down the frames and rushed out of the room almost tripping on the overall mess he had just illuminated. No wonder Yunho's workplace was chaos. His home was just the same.

Jaejoong found the bathroom a couple of steps away from the bedroom and he quickly refreshed his face with cold water. He looked himself in the mirror to appraise his condition and sighed. He had definitely seen better days, especially his eye bags and skin. There was also a slight bump in his forehead he had not foreseen. He mulled over it for a while, massaging it and straightening his hair until he unconsciously reached for a brush and remembered it was Yunho's. Everything here was Yunho's. Cold water wouldn't make a difference. It wouldn't wash away the feeling of Yunho's bedsheets wrapped warmly around him as if the man himself was there embracing him the whole night. Jaejoong felt a sudden stab of pain in his gut and he launched towards the toilet.

* * *

In retrospective, Yunho had never been so reluctant to wake up. Deep in his mind he knew there was just too much hassle in the real world not worthy enough for him to relinquish his dreamy state. Nevertheless, the decision was not up to him and thus he was forced to wake up as a flushing sound reached his ears. He turned around in his spot feeling unusually constricted and his elbow knocked a small object in the process. There was a thunderous crash in Yunho's ears and he covered them instinctively. When he finally opened his eyes and adjusted to the morning light he looked down and found the TV remote control on the floor, its cover open and batteries scattered about, rolling to the depths underneath the sofa.

“Damn” he sighed loudly and sat up. His left arm was numb and his legs weighted a ton each, proving to be reason enough never to sleep on the couch again. Nevertheless, the night's sleep had provided whatever strength and health Yunho remembered lacking when he had laid down defeated the night before. He got rid of the constraining jacket molded to his upper body and crouched down to take a glimpse under the sofa. He was able to discern two small forms in the distance and he only had to stretch out his arm to catch them. He put the batteries back on the remote and threw it over a pillow carelessly. What a wonderful way to begin his day, he thought grimly.

“I vote for worst way to begin the day” a hoarse voice echoed Yunho's thoughts and he nearly twisted his neck looking back.

“Jaejoong...”

“Yes?” he replied with a small tilt of his head. Jaejoong was leaning against the door frame with arms crossed over his chest. His bare feet were partly hidden under the hem of his pants and he wiggled his toes timidly. It made Yunho wonder if he had been standing there for a long time.

“The flushing, was that you?” Yunho asked him, recollecting the initial disturbance which had woken him from his sleep.

“Yeah. I had an urge to... you know, spill it all out” Jaejoong nodded with an embarrassed smile.

“Feel any better?”

“Yes, very much, thank you” Jaejoong said glancing backwards towards the bathroom “I'm glad I found it in time-”

“How's my bed?” Yunho interrupted a little panicked. Jaejoong seemed to have misinterpreted the question and looked at Yunho confused.

“What do you mean?”

“Please tell me you didn't throw up there”

“No!” Jaejoong interjected apprehensively. Yunho sighed with relief and stood up. He checked his watch for the time and was glad it was still early. They had a working day ahead of them after all.

“Sorry for yesterday” Jaejoong's voice filled the room with guilt before any other conversation could ensue “I don't remember much, but I guess I must have troubled you. Sometimes I don't get hold of my recreational drinking”

“I know that now” Yunho teased “You're a terrible drunk”

“Yah, are we really going to dwell on that?”

“If you don't want to my lips are sealed”

“Yeah, I don't” Jaejoong spat back. Yunho supposed Jaejoong had already too many people poking fun at him for his poor drunken displays and was simply refusing to acknowledge another one.

“Still, I would like to know how I got this bump on my head” Jaejoong wondered, bringing a hand to his forehead and rubbing the sore spot “I hope it won't swell or something... ” he hissed.

“It hurts?” Yunho stepped closer, breaching the gap between them in order to look at the small injury.

“Only if I touch it” Jaejoong informed him.

Yunho knew perfectly well why and how that bump had appeared on Jaejoong's head. Hell, he had been a victim of Jaejoong's clumsiness as well. However, voicing it out remained to be decided. Yunho was still struggling with the veracity of the facts of the previous night. It was difficult to believe them, especially now that Jaejoong was back to being himself. Yunho could barely wear his own policeman mask. He no longer had any need to hide his emptiness with it anyway.

“I bumped my head too but you healed it right away. I'll repay my debt if you let me” he said. Other than confirming Jaejoong's memory, the question had other ulterior motives. Yunho was up for a bold move without caring much for the consequences. He believed he was sick and there was nothing he could do about it. Jaejoong's eyes fell on him with suspicion though.

“How's that?”

“It's just as I said” Yunho replied innocently.

“I'll be fine, leave it” Jaejoong concluded. Yunho's teasing smile must have given away his intentions but probably not the right ones.

“Let me take a look” he insisted, reaching for Jaejoong's waist.

“It's ok! Yah!” Jaejoong stepped back to escape Yunho's grasp.

“But it's really effective” Yunho assured with a smirk.

“Good for you!”

“Does that mean you remember what you did?” Yunho asked eagerly.

“No” was the flat answer.

“Too bad”

“Do I need to bribe you so you won't tell me? I know how stupid I get when I'm drunk” Jaejoong grumbled not without his pout. There was a slight blush coloring his cheeks which Yunho didn't allow to go by unnoticed. His heart began ramming violently against his ribcage and Jaejoong's dreamy eyes came back to haunt him. The one in front of him, not so different from the lovable version of last night, was equally entrancing and Yunho rather than vote for worst way to begin the day like Jaejoong had proposed, was very tempted to vote for the exact opposite.

“You're staring” Jaejoong deadpanned.

“Oh sorry” Yunho apologized, not even aware that he had been staring at Jaejoong.

“Don't we have work to do today? Let's get something to eat and move out” Jaejoong said attempting to flee an awkward silence. Yunho nodded and scratched the back of his neck absentmindedly.

“I'll go take a shower first. Call for takeout, will you?”

“What? Isn't there anything to eat here?” Jaejoong wondered surprised. Rather than offend him, the question intrigued Yunho. He looked at Jaejoong with widened eyes.

“You cook?”

“You don't?”

“I'm not perfect” Yunho replied slyly, failing miserably at hiding his presumption.

“Really? You almost fooled me there” Jaejoong's smug was apparent “With the graceful way you just woke up and the tidy bedroom” he said with pure sarcasm.

“Very funny” Yunho retorted with a sullen expression.

“What happened to the baby fat and those crooked teeth?” Jaejoong's mockery had never been so pleased to find new boundaries to thread on. He didn't know how he managed to keep a straight face.

“Oh no, no, no, you didn't!” Yunho's shocked expression sent his hands to his face.

“Yes I did. Your lovely pictures were the first thing I saw this morning. How scary is that? I don't know how you manage- yah!” Jaejoong yelped as his teasing was successfully put to an end by Yunho's pinching skills.

“You'll rip my skin off!” Jaejoong whined clutching his stomach.

“You think I'll stand in my house listening to you making fun of my childhood misfortunes?” Yunho said trying very hard to keep from smiling.

“What misfortunes? You were so cute” Jaejoong laughed “Besides, there's that other photo where you look very ho-” Jaejoong stopped himself midway once his brain caught up with his inappropriate mouth “handsome” he finished.

Yunho eyed him quietly for a while, mainly out of embarrassment, but he recovered just in time.

“Yes, there's that. Thanks” he said happily.

At the exact same time both turned around towards their respective destinations; Yunho the bathroom and Jaejoong the kitchen.

* * *

Before Jaejoong could take a serious look at the kitchen, the first thing he did was bash his head in the counter. He felt so utterly stupid he wanted to crack his skull open and shout it at his brain. He knew people accused him of speaking too frankly but he had never been more aware of it. Yunho's own naivety might have helped him too now that he thought about it. Either way, he was baffled at his ability to cover it all up.

“Forget it” Jaejoong whispered to himself. He took a deep breath and concentrated on the task at hand.

He peeked inside the fridge and closed it displeased. Yunho had been right, he definitely didn't cook. His kitchen was a national disgrace. Empty, dark and cold.

“Takeout it shall be” Jaejoong muttered angrily. He returned to living room in search of a telephone book or directory to check some places nearby yet he found none. Knowing Yunho, if there was such a thing in the apartment he had probably lost it or forgotten where he left it. Jaejoong searched every drawer near the home phone, clearing some paperwork in the way, and soon gave up. He walked to the bathroom and knocked on the door.

“Yunho-yah?” Jaejoong called but instead of a reply he heard the water running.

“Hey! Yunho! You want to die of starvation? Are you listening?” Jaejoong called him a little louder, he had no intention of waking up the neighbors at such an hour.

“Yah! Yunho!” Jaejoong gripped the handle of the door. His mind and his heart were having a fierce battle to decide whether to open the door or not. His mind was being logical, telling him to wait until Yunho finished his shower and ask for his help later; his heart was pit-pattering terribly, ordering him to bust the damn thing open and ask Yunho for a place to order from.

“Jaejoong?” Came the muffled reply.

“Yes. Yunho-yah, where do I order from? Don't you have a phone book or something?”

“What?” Yunho's voice replied confused. Jaejoong's eyebrow twitched with annoyance.

“Don't make me repeat myself. Where is your-”

“Wha-? Can't hear you Jae...”

“Well, fuck it” Jaejoong cursed irritated beyond measure “I'm coming in!” He announced loudly and he opened the door leaving behind formality and politeness.

The bathroom he had been in earlier was now filled with fog and hot air coming from the running water. Yunho's silhouette was barely visible behind the shower curtain. Jaejoong felt his skin sweaty and his clothes damp with the surrounding atmosphere.

“Hear me now?”

Yunho stuck his head out of the shower completely shocked. His hand was gripping the curtains tightly as if they were a lifesaver while the stream of water kept falling on his back and dozens of droplets fell from his face to the floor. Jaejoong glared at the puddle forming outside the tub.

“You're wetting the floor” He pointed out nonchalantly. Yunho looked down feeling everything morbid about the situation.

“I was asking you where you keep your phone book or something. What nearby place should I call for takeout?” Jaejoong asked. He genuinely didn't know.

“Oh, r-right” Yunho wasn't able to avoid the stuttering “I don't know where I left that” he admitted quickly without thinking much about the subject.

“I figured”

“Check my cellphone. I have a few numbers there”

“Nice~ didn't think about that” Jaejoong replied amazed. He turned around casually to leave the bathroom, but Yunho was too disturbed to let him go without another word.

“Couldn't you wait till I finished?” he whined.

“We don't have all day. I still want to stop by my house and change clothes” Jaejoong pouted “By the way, Yunho-yah, no need to grip that curtain to death. There's nothing behind it I've never seen before”

“Shut up!”

Jaejoong closed the door chuckling.

* * *

After Yunho took his shower and got dressed the two detectives devoured their breakfast, which Jaejoong ate without much fuss seeing as he chose most of it himself. His humor was so high up he even promised Yunho he would cook for him somewhere in the future if they had the time.

Yunho began to feel a little afraid of his personal reverie at the time, more so with Jaejoong sitting across from him looking stupidly stunning with the bed-hair he had unsuccessfully tried to fix and the resulting barely perceptive pout. It was enough to drive him crazy and Yunho had to pretend he was eating resolve to stop from staring. Fortunately, his phone rang a few times before eight o'clock saving him from the impending doom of the meal. Two of those calls had been from his cautious mother who always called early to catch him at home. The first he ignored, the second he took with desperation, and the last and third call had been one of the station's secretaries telling him the official autopsy report of the girl in the car trunk had finally been submitted. Yunho hung up quickly and dashed to the kitchen to gulp down whatever was left of his breakfast and pull Jaejoong along with him to the car.

“You're dropping me home, aren't you?” Jaejoong asked while trying to coordinate his feet with the abnormal speed at which they climbed down the stairs.

“Impossible. We're going directly to the station to get our hands on that report. If they identified the girl our days of waiting and speculation are over. We have to visit the parents and friends and see what dirt we can get on Seungri. He is not exactly a victim here” Yunho prattled. He pulled open the front door of the building roughly, almost hitting Jaejoong close behind him, and strolled on towards the car. Jaejoong had barely stepped on the sidewalk before he began his complaints.

“No, no, no. You don't understand. I can't go to work like this. I need to change” He said gesturing to his clothes and tight pants. Yunho felt bad about his lack of regret.

“Don't worry, you look fine. I don't plan for us to chase after criminals today anyway- I mean we- I mean...” He began stuttering again and decided to shut up for his own good. Jaejoong slapped the top of the car in protest.

“Aish. That's not the point! Just drop me anywhere near Itaewon. I'll walk the rest of the way-”

“You live in Itaewon?” Yunho already had a leg inside the car when he halted and looked at Jaejoong astonished.

Jaejoong gulped down and returned the widened stare.

“What's the problem?”

“Nothing. I didn't know...”

“So?”

“Why didn't you say anything when we were there last week?” Yunho wondered.

“I didn't think it was relevant. Besides, it's not really really Itaewon. It's between two districts- anyway, we're losing precious time here” Jaejoong dropped the subject and entered the car. Yunho frowned vexed and followed Jaejoong inside, urging to ask more about his life but knowing he shouldn't.

“You're ashamed of your humble abode?” Yunho asked just to spite him. Jaejoong snorted out a derisive laugh.

“No one can be ashamed of their abode when they compare it to yours” he answered with a smirk.

“Bastard” Yunho lashed the car keys at his legs and Jaejoong escaped by a millimeter.

“Yah! What are you?! A kid?!” Jaejoong yelled angrily, though he felt more like laughing at Yunho's childishness.

“Sure, sure, I'll drop you home” Yunho grumbled “But you get back to the station as soon as...” his speech found an impediment as his hand reached out towards Jaejoong's seat, more concretely Jaejoong's thigh, to retrieve his keys. Jaejoong noticed it and with a silly jolt grabbed the keys from the uncomfortable spot and handed them to Yunho. The latter took them with no further ado and started the car.

“Thanks” he managed to utter in a low tone. Jaejoong nodded casually in order to reaffirm his indifference, yet his arms were filled with goosebumps. He clung to his jacket unconsciously.

“Anyway, as I was saying. You get back to the station as soon as possible. I'll go on ahead to sign the papers from the forensics. By the way, I've always meant to ask you this-”

“What?” Perhaps it was the thrill of the moment or simple anxiety, the eager word just slipped out of Jaejoong's mouth. Yunho spared him a glance but went on with his inquiry.

“Do you have a car? You know how to drive, right? How do you go to work every day?”

“Chun gives me a lift” Jaejoong said flatly. He shifted his gaze to the road ahead of him so as to avoid any facial response from Yunho. He didn't need it and he was certain he wouldn't like it.

“Y-you” Yunho cursed his recurring stutter mentally. The thought it might never go away began to pour anguish down on him and he gripped the steering wheel more tightly. They just could not get awkward again. It was too much for one morning. Notwithstanding, Yunho's stubbornness was a trick that fooled even himself. Sometimes he never saw it coming, sometimes he just held onto it without noticing.

“You live together?”

“No” Jaejoong answered coolly “Just neighbors. He lives across the street” he explained while taking out his cigarettes.

“What a coincidence” the commentary fled effortlessly.

“Actually, he helped me look for a new apartment two years ago. There just happened to be one free in front of his” Jaejoong added. He lit his cigarette and turned subtly towards Yunho who was eying the pack.

“Want one?” He asked tilting the cigarette in his right hand.

“Sure” Yunho mumbled.

Jaejoong took out another cigarette from the pack and as soon as it touched Yunho's fingers both men acknowledged the ensuing problem: lighting it up. Yunho was driving in a narrow street over a bumpy road and with no nearby red lights to stop the car. Jaejoong handed him the lighter but acknowledged the lost case at the last second. He ended up snatching the cigarette from Yunho's fragile grip, stick it in his mouth and lighting it up himself before handing it back. Yunho was too thankful to reject it and, truthfully, he couldn't do otherwise nor did he want to.

The drive to Jaejoong's place was silent and Yunho left for the police station pondering on the benefits of an occasional smoke.

* * *

“Yunho-sshi, please sign these two, here” the secretary instructed him by placing two paper sheets in front of him and pointing to the signature space. He scribbled his signature quickly and grabbed the enclosed report the woman had brought for him.

“Autopsy report along with DNA and dental identification” she said with a short bow.

Yunho thanked her and strutted to his desk. He ripped open the envelop anxiously and shook the contents out onto his desk. He waded through them temporarily looking for the ID files and ditching the details.

“Here it is” he whispered to himself with satisfaction. His eyes glided to the picture of the girl on the upper left corner of the page. She looked young and lively, not even remotely related to the mass of flesh and bones he had seen in the autopsy room. Yunho sent her a silent prayer.

“Oh! Hyung! Back to an early schedule, uh?” a cheerful voice greeted him. Yunho didn't have to look to know who it was. And he was very surprised.

“Changmin?!”

“I told you I would be out of that hospital bed soon” he grinned devilishly.

Changmin was looking quite healthy. Still the same tall, snarky, sharp tongued young man Yunho knew. Yet he remained unable to convince Yunho of his total recovery regarding his injury. Yunho was about to hug him when he remembered.

“How's your shoulder? What are you doing here? Didn't they send you home? Yah, Changminnie, how can you be so irresponsible, you-”

“Yah! I'm fine hyung. Calm down” Changmin said, resting his left hand on Yunho's arm “The doctor did send me home. I just stopped by to talk to the Chief about my extended but temporary leave. Temporary” Changmin underlined severely.

“How much?”

“Another two weeks. They are crazy of course. You know this is all a plot to stop my achievements in the force, right? Someone must be feeling threatened so they decided to deal with me in this disgraceful way. Hindering my progress like this. Well, I'll show them no staleness is going to change anything”

“Yah, Changmin, don't be a rascal” Yunho scolded him with a heart-warming smile. He really missed him and was glad Changmin was healthy enough to spout self-centered nonsense again.

“Hey hyung, where's that Kim Jaejoong? I thought I'd be able to meet him today” Changmin said looking around for any unfamiliar face.

“Kim Jaejoong” Yunho repeated a little hazy “Yeah, he is– I-, I don't know” It would be too troublesome to explain his past night to Changmin at the moment, not to mention at the station where anyone could listen misinterpret and twist the events for their own purposes. Not that Yunho was much of a paranoid. Only recently. Only since doubts began creeping into his mind.

“Ooh, I see why you're having fun with him around. You get the work all to yourself” Changmin pointed out wisely, fishing Yunho's words from days back. Yunho frowned in disapproval, but mostly to evade an incoming surge of blushing.

“He'll come around eventually” Yunho muttered and returned to his seat.

“I suppose so. Anyway, I'll leave you to work” Changmin said sadly “How are things going?”

“Fine. We're actually getting somewhere now. Got an ID on the dead girl inside the car trunk. But you don't need to butt in just yet. Go home and rest, and get your rehab done” Yunho teased Changmin and poked him in the forehead when he caught him peeking at documents.

“OK, OK, I'm on my way Jung Yunho” Changmin replied miffed.

“Are you staying at your parents?” Yunho asked him quickly before Changmin disappeared out of sight.

“Just the next few days. You know how my mother is...” Changmin rolled his eyes.

“I understand her feelings” Yunho smiled.

“Oh God, my mushy-senses are tingling again. I'll be going now so you can stop it. Take care of yourself hyung” Changmin whined picking up his step towards the exit. Yunho swirled in his chair to watch him run away.

“You too Changminnie, I'll make sure to stop by and tingle the rest of your mushy-sensors”

“No need!”

Yunho got up from his seat and accompanied his old partner back to the main entrance, just for safekeeping. Changmin shooed him away.

* * *

The second Jaejoong arrived at the police station was the same second he got out. Yunho appeared abruptly out of nowhere and swooshed him away from a startled Yoochun after barely uttering two words of greeting towards him. Yoochun was too much of a good person to feel offended, certainly not dimwitted enough to fail to understand Yunho was in a hurry. He stood a good minute and a half on the front steps contemplating the scene and waving happily at Jaejoong who was shouting angrily at Yunho for the harsh treatment. For Yoochun it was all free entertainment.

“Yah! Jung Yunho, what the hell do you think you're doing?! I just got here- let me go-”

“Can't hear you, can't hear you, can't hear you” Yunho hummed shoving Jaejoong inside the car and locking his door.

“Yah! Aish! This bastard!” Jaejoong slapped the window in frustration and followed Yunho's figure with a deadly gaze as he went around the car to his respective seat.

“What the fuck is this?! Where are we going?” Jaejoong cried out, his last question sounded a little panicked and Yunho laughed to himself.

“Why am I being treated like a prisoner, am I arres...” Jaejoong stopped his angry agitation and became very still. Yunho turned on the motor and began pulling back to leave the parking space when the silence finally struck him.

“Something wrong?” he asked Jaejoong.

“You tell me”

They locked stares and for a split second Yunho saw a ghastly glimpse of fear in Jaejoong's eyes. He felt his heart clench in response and almost lost control of the car.

“Nothing. Nothing's wrong. We're just going to visit the girl's mother. I just dragged you to avoid wasting more time” Yunho said worried. He would drown in misery if he ever saw that sight of Jaejoong again.

“You could have told me that” Jaejoong replied annoyed.

“Heat of the moment”

Jaejoong hissed.

“Nobody told you to spend the whole morning soaking in the bath” Yunho muttered.

“Did not! You're the one who wasted hours on the shower. I didn't even take half your time!” Jaejoong argued outraged.

“Wha-?” Yunho frowned offended but softened pretty quickly as Jaejoong resumed to his normal self again. He handed him the autopsy report to keep him occupied and they discussed what kind of questions they would ask the mother once they arrived at the address.

Yunho was quite glad that work seemed to ease both their minds when so many private matters were yet to be discussed.


	10. Chapter 10

What's so good about love stories? Whether you experience them or not, whether you sing them or paint them or write them. Nothing about love stories should ever affect people. But they do and do so terribly. Who ever thought the first one up should have pondered on the consequences. Or maybe that was also a love story on its own. It wouldn't surprise anybody at this point...

Why was Yunho reflecting on this? He didn't know. Jaejoong was sitting beside him in the passenger seat rambling about the shitty music people tended to listen to during a taxi drive. Nothing out of the ordinary, Yunho's mind simply shifted its own way. Perhaps it were the commercial ads plastered all over the city exploiting the concept of love to its utmost pathetic degree or the sappy music playing on the radio that set the mood. Yunho didn't know and he didn't really care for an explanation either. He was tired of over analyzing things for the benefit of better judgment.

They parked outside a little apartment building which looked neat and well preserved. Although the residential area was old most of the houses were looking fine for their age. Yunho could only hope the people mirrored that same setting. However, he didn't even get to ring the doorbell. An old lady opened the front door and walked out holding her purse and a large bag, probably heading out for shopping. Yunho inquired after the dead girl's mother, who they were on their way to visit, only to be disappointed. According to the neighbor she had gone out early in the morning to arrange for her daughter's funeral proceedings.

“What's wrong?” Jaejoong wondered. He had finished looking around the place and caught up with his partner by the car.

“The mother's out”

“You think she went back to the morgue?”

“It's possible. I'll call them”

Yunho took out his cell phone and called the forensics lab where the girl's body was being kept. It took less than five minutes to ascertain the whereabouts of the mother. Afterwards, he asked the holder to keep her until they got there.

As Jaejoong had put it, the forensic boys had been more than useful to arrange them a small room to interrogate the mother. She was sitting in a comfy green armchair, gripping the black purse in her lap and looking miserable when they arrived. While Yunho went to thank the resident holder for the gesture, Jaejoong brought her a glass of water and offered a few kind words of lament. She thanked him bitterly, as a mother who had just discovered the death of her daughter under such circumstances would have.

“The time it took us to discover her death is truly regrettable”

“I imagine it is” she said coldly.

“Did you not report her as a missing person?” Jaejoong asked her already knowing the answer. He felt the woman was grieving and therefore uncooperative. It was better to thread carefully and let her vent some of her misery. Jaejoong took particular notice of her saggy expression and red eyes.

“I didn't. I expected her to come home around this week or so. I was hopeful, but to no avail apparently” she mumbled containing a sob.

“Why do you think she would return home? Did she live with you?”

Yunho entered the room at that moment, robbing the attention of the two people inside.

“Sorry, I took longer than I thought. Mrs. Park, my condolences” he said with a deep bow. The mother bowed back in respect. “I'm inspector Jung Yunho. Your daughter's case was assigned to me and my partner. I assume you've been told already but we were only able to identify your daughter this late. I don't think there's any way to make you feel better than telling you how hard it was and how diligently we worked to give her a name. Hopefully we will find out who did this to her but for that we would require your help. Is that ok?” Jung Yunho was too much even for a mourning woman. The real concern coating his gentle voice and the impeccable choice of words, which sounded as natural as breathing, would have convinced anyone. But more than that, it was his compassionate being and honest expression that gave him credit. For as fallible as he and his beliefs might be, they were all pure and sincere. Jaejoong acknowledged that and so did the mother, though the former didn't know if he took it with jealousy or pride.

“Yes, of course. Thank you” Mrs. Park replied. Her eyes filled with more tears, but none were shed. Yunho nudged Jaejoong to proceed with his questions and filled two glasses of water for both of them.

“So, Mrs. Park. Did your daughter live with you?” Jaejoong repeated the question and looked at the pitiful woman with difficulty. It took effort to linger his gaze on her when Yunho's beautiful fingers busied themselves with the glasses of water right beside him.

“Yes. Yeo Jin, my daughter, was on her senior year in college. She has always lived with her parents, but since her father's death last year she changed. I guess I should have been a better mother...”

“What do you mean? Something happened to her?”

“I don't know” Mrs. Park answered sadly. Her head was down as if in shame “She got herself a boyfriend, a brat she met somewhere. I wasn't very fond of him. She knew it”

“You knew this boy? Did you ever meet him in person?”

“Once”

“What about his name?”

“Lee Seungri”

Jaejoong and Yunho exchanged glances briefly acknowledging the situation.

“Then you know he was driving the car where we found your daughter?”

“Yes”

“The day before the crash, you have any idea where your daughter might have been?” Yunho queried. Mrs. Park raised her head fiercely at that.

“Of course. She was with that rascal!” she spat with hatred “It was an habit of hers lately, to disappear with that kid and his friends” she tightened the grip on her purse and reached for her glass of water.

“But can you tell us the exact date of the last time you saw her? Did she tell you anything?” Mrs. Park took a sip and licked her dry lips. She looked dried to the core.

“Two days before the car accident” she said quietly “She told me she was going out with her friend Ha Na, but I know she was lying. I saw her boyfriend's car parked at the corner of the street-”

“Wait a minute” Yunho interrupted her alarmed “Her friend Ha Na? You mean to say Lee Ha Na?”

Mrs. Park looked at him a little confused before nodding her head.

“Yes. How do you know her?”

“You haven't been reading the papers or listening to the news lately” Jaejoong told her. Mrs. Park refused to face him feeling too ashamed.

“My daughter... every time she goes-... every time she went missing like that, I couldn't bear to read or watch any news” the woman said in a whisper. Yunho handed her the glass of water and she took it eagerly.

“We understand, but I must tell you this. Lee Ha Na is lying comatose in the hospital from a drug overdose. I'm afraid that if she ever wakes up she will be arrested for possession and some other crimes you need not worry about. If you were close to her family, perhaps you understand why they haven't told you a thing” Yunho explained. Mrs. Park brought a hand to cover her gasp.

“W-what... I can't believe it” she murmured “T-then... my Yeo Jin- did she-?”

“We couldn't find any trace of drugs” Yunho replied shortly. He tried not to speak of the poor remains of her daughter's body. It was already gruesome for him to remember and he did not need to worsen the mother's grief. Jaejoong looked at him perplexed. Although he knew Yunho's intentions, he could not overlook the fact that Park Yeo Jin had been involved with drugs as had her boyfriend.

“She was too damaged for any trace to show up. But we believe she might have been involved in a drug deal” Jaejoong said truthfully. Yunho sent him a dangerous glare but he ignored it. Mrs. Park shivered in her seat “You said Ha Na and Yeo Jin were friends. Was Lee Ha Na also acquainted with your daughter's boyfriend, Lee Seungri?” Jaejoong continued.

“Yes”

“You're positive of that?”

“Yes. He once picked both girls at our house”

“Ok, thank you” Jaejoong said and he leaned back on his chair, giving Yunho the opportunity to speak.

“Mrs. Park, you've been a great help. Thank you so much. I would just like to clear off two more things. First, you spoke of his car. The last day you saw your daughter and she lied to you about meeting Lee Ha Na, she actually drove off with her boyfriend because you saw his car parked at the corner of your street” Yunho recapitulated.

“Yes”

“Can you describe the car?” Mrs. Park furrowed her eyebrows and then nodded.

“I don't know much about cars, but I can tell it was a small thing. A red car with a Seoul number plate. I don't remember the number” she responded honestly.

“That's enough. Thank you” Yunho said kindly “Last thing. Lee Seungri's friends. What can you tell me about them? You said you only met him once, what about his friends?”

“That time I met him he was with a blond haired young man. I can't remember his name. I never liked either one of them. I understand now where all the influences came from, how and why my daughter changed so much. This.. this.. I hope I've told you enough. I don't think there's anything else I can help you with” she said abruptly.

“We appreciate your help” Yunho replied. He helped Mrs. Park up and accompanied her to the door.

“Do you mind one last question?” Jaejoong's voice halted them before Yunho reached the door handle. Mrs. Park turned her head towards the shorter detective.

“Yes?”

“I'm just curious really, but do you believe Lee Seungri could have killed your daughter? Did he have any motive? Was he so despicable to that point?”

Mrs. Park stood silent for a while, pondering on the question cautiously.

“I never trusted him with my daughter's life to begin with. As for his intentions and character I am a poor and biased judge. Excuse me” and with that she left the improvised interrogation room.

* * *

 “Did you have to be so insensitive?”

“You're saying I'm cold?” Jaejoong answered Yunho's question with one of his own. He sat down on his chair and swiveled around with boredom.

“She just lost her daughter. You could have kept the drug detail aside. There was no need to tarnish the image of her daughter like that” Yunho said angrily.

“If she didn't know how grave the situation was she wouldn't have been so cooperative”

“Her daughter was murdered, I think she knew the situation was damn well serious!” Yunho grunted from across his desks.

“So you don't care if we hide important details like that?” Jaejoong asked. He was surprised to see this side of Yunho that contrasted with his every other moral.

“It's... it's not that” Yunho replied a little discomposed “She could know about it eventually, just not now. Not so soon” he said in earnest. It was easy for Yunho to put himself in the mother's shoes, to imagine her pain and humiliation. He had seen dozens of parents like her, he had dealt with them always with the same discretion and sympathy and he was not changing that any time soon.

“So, you would tell her?” Jaejoong insisted stubbornly.

“If I had to, yes. Of course”

“Then your morals are not so contradicting, uh? Feeling better?” Jaejoong teased him but Yunho just glared at him and pulled the nearest folder to distract himself.

“It wouldn't be a lie if that's what you're wondering” Yunho told him after a while. Jaejoong turned to look at him apprehensively but Yunho's gaze was far from his.

“Is lying such a problem for you?”

“On account of my work, yes” Yunho said and he raised his eyes from the folder to look at Jaejoong “And in my personal life as well”

Jaejoong tilted his head and smiled.

“Well said”

* * *

There wasn't much left for them to do that day but pour over the little bits of information they got from Park Yeo Jin's mother. Setting their differences aside in the manner which they chose to deal with her, both inspectors decided to focus on the piece of information they knew less about: Lee Seungri's friends, in particular the blond guy.

Reviewing the pool slaughter case and taking into account Seungri and Hyunjoong's connection, as well as Yeo Jin and Ha Na's, they determined that the blond friend must have been the same guy who had driven the car of the escape whom their primary witness Daesung had also recognized in his testimony. This key character boosted Yunho and Jaejoong's need for a warrant to search Seungri's apartment. Jaejoong kept talking about the photos he had found in the bedroom with Seungri, Yeo Jin and some friends, insisting that the blond guy must be in one of them. Yunho agreed and he felt assurance in his gut. They needed to search that place again and with a forensic team to find out if that was indeed Park Yeo Jin's crime scene.

Meanwhile, they dealt with the never ending paper work and called every other hour to either Lee Ha Na's hospital, Seungri's ward or the bureau where their warrant was waiting to be signed and consented. It is needless to say that both Lee Ha Na and Seungri were still unconscious and the warrant was still to be signed.

“I'm leaving early today. I have some things to do. Call me if anything comes up” Jaejoong said, picking up his belongings and heading towards the exit. Yunho replied from his seat with a “Sure” and stood behind, plastered to his desk. He would have gone home early just the same but he never knew when someone might call in a turn of events. Besides, his home was not so different from the office, especially now that Jaejoong was gone.

The phone rang sooner than expected. Yunho's heart leapt with anxiety but it sunk just as quickly when he heard the voice on the other side. He wanted to laugh at how desperate he must have looked for a second. Rather than an hospital nurse or an office clerk, the person on the phone was quite familiar to Yunho in the most literal sense.

“Oppa?” Ji Hye wondered.

“Yes? Ji Hye? I've told you and mother not to call me here” Yunho's current mood channeled his frustrations to scolding and he barely remembered to greet his sister. He didn't like to take private calls at work. As much as he loved and respected his family, he always felt his pride trampled on when they acted like this. They were incredibly spoiled.

“I kept calling but you never answered. You must have forgotten your cellphone somewhere again oppa” Ji Hye claimed with a soft giggle. She knew her brother well.

“Did not” he replied embarrassed. Losing things was Yunho's bad habit, one which he was close to lose hope of breaking. He held the phone between his ear and shoulder and thrust his hands into his pockets looking for any sign of the lost object.

“Don't worry about it. You'll find it eventually. You're searching for it right now, aren't you?” Ji Hye said knowingly.

“I told you I didn't lose it. I've had it all day” Yunho answered stubbornly. Call it sibling quarreling or simple unyielding resolve, Yunho never gave up easily. He turned around and grabbed his jacket searching its pockets.

“Forget it oppa. I didn't call to remind you of your bad habits” Ji Hye said with a weary sigh. Yunho persisted, folding and unfolding the jacket in his refusal to accept the lost phone. Ji Hye ignored the rustling on his end of the line and carried on the conversation knowing he would give up soon and listen to her.

“Anyway, oppa, you know very well why I'm calling. Mother is worried because you haven't gone home in a while. When you have a break go down to Gwangju and see her. Father has been asking about you as well” she said.

“I'm in the middle of an on-going investigation. I told that to mother when she called me today at those ungodly hours. Changmin was shot, I have two correlated cases, it's not easy” Yunho said trying to sound as serious as possible.

“You're always in the middle of something” Ji Hye complained. For her Yunho's work excuses were the most trivial thing in the world.

“If she's feeling so lonely you go home and do her company. I'm too busy. Maybe next month. I don't know, I really don't”

“You know it's not because she's lonely. She just wants to hear from you. How you are doing, how's your life. You know she is worried about you settling down and finding someone to marry. It's all she ever thinks about” Ji Hye said. Yunho had already admitted a pliant defeat regarding his lost cellphone and was playing with the hem of the jacket. He foresaw all the nagging that was about to come and it was a sin not to find his jacket absolutely amazing in comparison.

“She's not getting any younger and neither are you. Besides, if she ever gives up on you she'll start thinking about my prospects. It's still early for that-”

“Ooh, don't like the thought of settling down either, Ji Hye?”

“I'm three years younger!” she replied defensively. Yunho laughed affectionately at her blunt sincerity.

“I don't see how that matters”

“It does! And you can't hide forever with work oppa”

“I'm not hiding. I'm busy. Oppa's work is very serious” Yunho uttered softly “I don't have the time for a relationship”

“Everyone else has!” Ji Hye responded a little obstinate. Yunho furrowed his brows.

“Mother has got you really into this” he muttered.

“She hasn't. I just started getting worried too” Ji Hye said sweetly. Yunho could imagine her pout, but instead other face appeared in his mind. He lost track of the conversation for a moment.

“If you don't want her to start with her matchmaking schemes again I suggest you just go meet her in person and tell her everything is fine. Your handsome face can be very convincing. Oppa? Are you listening?”

“Y-yes. You were saying?” Yunho was caught off guard.

“Aish, oppa. This is important. Please” Ji Hye whined.

“Yes”

“Don't trouble mother, ok?”

“I'll do what I can”

“Will you, oppa?”

“I will. Does my word value nothing?” Yunho teased her.

“No! Of course not. Just don't disappoint her, nor me” she added.

“Don't worry, I won't” Yunho said. And it was all a big fat lie because the only thing Yunho worried about lately had nothing to do with his family's wishes.

“So” Ji Hye took a maturer tone and cleared her throat “How are you doing? How are things going?” she was past being her mother's dutiful child and Yunho could tell it was his sister's kind nature, much like his own, talking to him now.

“Not bad” Yunho answered with a smile.

“Good, good. That's good” Ji Hye replied happily.

“I didn't say they were good” he was teasing her but he was being honest as well.

“No? Then how?”

“Different”

“Yah, oppa, you're mocking me. I'm going to hang up” she said displeased. Yunho laughed.

“You do that. I should go home too”

“Okay” Ji Hye agreed “Take care oppa”

“You too” Yunho hung up after a few more words of goodbye and then he prepared to go home.

He cleaned what he could of his recent mess of papers and put on his jacket. He remembered his lost phone before leaving the desk and lingered for a while looking for it inside drawers and under papers. Yunho was about to give up once again and look for it in his car when the Department Chief appeared, having just left his office.

“Chief!” Yunho bowed as he approached.

“Yunho! Still here, uh?” he said good humored. He glanced at his watch and uttered a 'tsk' in sympathy “Always the hardworking fella”

“Yes, sir” Yunho answered with a weak smile.

“How's the investigation going? Heard you had a breakthrough with that dead girl” the Chief said gesturing Yunho to leave the main office with him. Yunho nodded and trailed a step behind.

“Yes, it helped a lot. We're waiting for the warrant now”

“Still haven't received the damn thing?” the Chief wondered surprised “Never thought things could go slower with those magistrates and judges. How long ago have you applied?”

“Almost a week”

“Christ! That's long! I'll see what I can do for you” the Chief said patting Yunho's back. They had reached the entrance of the building.

“Oh, how's your partner?”

“Which one?” Yunho replied instinctively. The Chief gave him a stern look and then burst out laughing.

“That's right, that's right!” he said amused “Which one... I forgot you had it rough” he laughed some more and then ceased as he noticed Yunho's discomfort.

“How's your new partner? I spoke with Changmin this morning, so I got that one covered” the Chief said wittily.

“He's doing great. We have our differences but we manage” Yunho said, thinking back on his and Jaejoong little dispute earlier that day.

“I see, I see. He'll give you trouble in the beginning, but you'll get used to him. We needed new faces around here anyhow. Some of the old dogs are retiring soon too, so more like Kim Jaejoong will come”

“Hopefully there won't be more Shim Changmins, we have enough of that” Yunho joked. The Chief laughed along with him.

“You're right about that! Anyway, I must be getting back home to the missus” the Chief announced. He began walking down the front steps with Yunho close behind.

“What about you, Yunho-yah? Got some girl to yourself?” Yunho stopped abruptly.

“No. I don't-”

“You don't need to explain” the Chief turned back towards him with a grin “It's hard with the police force, I know. Also, a hand can be a man's best friend too” he added lifting his right hand. Yunho sent him a quizzical look but quickly understood.

“Just go home, jerk one off and sleep. At least you'll get some stress relief. Good night!” the older man gave another loud laugh and left for his expensive looking ride leaving Yunho feeling awkward from head to toe.

What was it with the people around him? Was everyone interested in what went on inside his pants or what? Yunho decided to erase the last two conversations from his mind and drove home. He took a cold shower, ordered chinese food for dinner and went to bed.

He closed his eyes determined to sleep yet he was stroking himself before he knew it. By then it was too late. The strange suspicions for which he had avoided masturbating lately only found more ground as he came while thinking of Kim Jaejoong.

Yunho was not going to erase those last two conversations from his mind. He was going to erase the jerking off too.

* * *

“Yunho-sshi, good morning. Something came in for Jaejoong-sshi” the main office secretary told him first thing next morning while distributing the mail. She approached Yunho with an envelope in her hand.

“Sure, leave it there” he said, not meeting her eyes and motioning to Jaejoong's desk. The young woman did as she was told but she did not bulge from her spot.

“Anything else? Something for me?” Yunho wondered, immersed in a report.

“No, nothing for you sir. It's just...” the anxiety in her voice disturbed Yunho greatly. It was like she embodied his own restlessness.

“There's no return”

“You mean, you don't know who sent it?”

“Yes, sir. It's blank. It just says Kim Jaejoong” she said. Yunho looked over at the envelope and picked it up.

“You think it's dangerous?” he wondered out loud.

“I don't know sir” she replied worried.

“There's definitively something inside” Yunho stated, groping the envelop and trying to figure out what was inside “Doesn't seem like a letter. It's too solid, and thin too. Maybe a CD or...”

“What's the matter?” Jaejoong's voice surprised both Yunho and the secretary. The former turned around to look at his partner but as soon as he saw him he felt shameful and returned his attention to the envelope.

“That package came in for you” the secretary explained as Jaejoong approached Yunho to take a look.

“This little thing?” Jaejoong asked. He stretched his hand to grab it but, as it brushed against Yunho's the taller man pulled his hand immediately letting the object fall to the ground. Jaejoong looked at him puzzled.

“What?” he exclaimed. Yunho shrugged and bent over to pick the envelope.

“Nothing”

“Give me that” Jaejoong demanded. He did not sound angry but was as nonchalant as ever. Yunho passed him the envelope and Jaejoong tore it open taking out a thin CD case.

“This is for me?” he wondered again. The secretary nodded her head.

“Yes. There was no return. I don't know who sent it”

“Ok, it's fine. Thank you” he replied and dismissed her.

“Turn on the computer” Jaejoong instructed Yunho.

“W-what? Why?”

“To see what's this all about” Jaejoong explained impatiently.

They turned on the computer and put the CD inside. Soon enough they both understood it was not a CD, but a DVD with a special recording.

“What the hell is this?” Jaejoong said in disbelief. He could not believe what was displayed on the screen. Yunho was little surprised at first but kept staring. The video was a little dark but the content was perceptible.

“What is...” the words stuck in Yunho's throat as the video progressed. At first it showed the threshold of a house, then a little corridor, then a door, then a bedroom and then lying on the bed, Kim Jaejoong sleeping peacefully.

“What the fuck is this?”


	11. Chapter 11

Yunho and Jaejoong were so focused staring at the video on screen that any sound other than the low buzzing of the computer was completely alien to them. While Jaejoong processed why and how someone had managed to barge into his house in the middle of the night to film him, Yunho remained aghast and unmoving. His brain was too busy conjecturing Jaejoong's future demise along the lines of torture, rape or death.

“Ooh? What's this? Homemade sex tape?”

Yunho swore he had never known a person with such a bad timing as Kim Heechul, though the latter probably considered it perfect. His choice of words never seemed suitable either but one didn't have to know Heechul for long to know he just wanted to spite people.

“No. We don't know what it is” Jaejoong replied curtly. He didn't even turn around to face his self-appointed enemy.

“Looks quite simple to me. Where's the second act?”

“Maybe they'll mail it tomorrow” Jaejoong snapped back.

“It might be a threat or blackmail. We don't know yet” Yunho said, turning around and greeting Heechul to sooth the mood.

“I didn't know things were so exciting with you two. I've been missing some fun, eh?”

“No you haven''t” Yunho replied. He doubted there was any piece of news that didn't reach Heechul's ears for as small as it was. This reminded Yunho of their own misunderstanding last time at bowling and he regained some of his guilty awareness. Not that another ton of remorse would make much difference after the previous night.

“You're right, but it feels better knowing from the source” Heechul grinned “So, when you get Part II of this extremely obscure video of the sleeping beauty just give me a call-”

“I'm not going to sit here listening to this...” Jaejoomg slapped the surface of the desk and in a matter of seconds ejected the DVD, put it in its case and stormed off the room.

Heechul was not remotely surprised. He stood there looking at Jaejoong go with a satisfied smile on his face and sat down in his chair proud of his manipulative deed. As for Yunho, the muscles in his legs flexed unwillingly and his first reaction was to follow his partner immediately. Heechul grabbed his arm and stopped him.

“Wait a second” he said “I know this is not the best time and I won't be able to stop you from going after him, so just listen”

Yunho noticed Heechul's serious expression and nodded.

“What happened?” he was not so much concerned as with hurry.

“Nothing... yet” Heechul observed “We need to talk. Do you have any free time?”

“Not today. What about lunch tomorrow?” Yunho proposed quickly, the thought just popping into his head.

“Ok. I'll hold you to it” Heechul told him with a wink.

Yunho left after Jaejoong in a run, disregarding completely the use of the lifts and the people passing by. The range of his vision amidst a crowd was by itself deficient and thus he bumped into a few people in the process. Strangely enough, he didn't have any problems guessing where Jaejoong might have gone. The idea presented itself quite clearly in his head and he climbed down the building's staircase two steps at a time. When he regained sight of Jaejoong's distinctive figure at the Records department he knew he was right. He followed his partner inside his old office and soon met with Yoochun and Junsu's happy faces as they met their friend.

“Hyung!”

“What's up?”

Jaejoong barely uttered a word to them. He sat down in front of his former desk and opened his laptop. Apparently no one had bothered to pick up his old appliances or even replace him there yet. Junsu turned to Yoochun with a strange look on his face as if asking for an explanation for their hyung's behavior. Yoochun shrugged his shoulders in ignorance, having no idea what had happened and remembering that Jaejoong had been fine as they drove to work that morning. When Yunho entered they sighed with relief and greeted him.

“Hyung, something happened?”

“What's wrong with Jaejoong hyung?”

Yunho opened his mouth to answer but Jaejoong was faster than him.

“Is this one of your pranks?” He asked his two friends, turning the laptop in their direction. Yoochun and Junsu approached the screen to look more attentively.

“Oooh, what's this?”

“The quality is crap”

“It's dark, idiot”

“I noticed that!.. Oh! I know this place”

“Look, look” Yoochun exclaimed surprised “It's hyung's apartment” he said as he recognized the place. Junsu's mouth formed an 'o' once he acknowledged it.

“Who's filming?” he asked absentmindedly.

All four pairs of eyes followed the camera going into Jaejoong's room slowly.

“It's creepy” Yoochun commented.

“That I would like to know myself” Jaejoong said in answer to Junsu's question.

No matter how many times he saw it, as the bedroom door opened, a cluster of air stuck in Yunho's throat and he found it hard to breath. A jumble of thoughts assaulted him and he didn't know if what affected him most about the person holding the camera was the fact that he or she might be a pervert, a murderer, a stalker, a robber or even himself. Yunho didn't know why, but he couldn't help thinking that whoever was filming Jaejoong was just like himself. Yunho's consciousness projected his guilt in these distressing thoughts and he was ashamed to even look at the man. How he was going to carry on during the day he didn't know. He would have to bear with it.

“Oh shit, is that you?” Yoochun raised his eyes to question Jaejoong. The latter nodded quietly. He was sure his friends were out of the picture and positive that the true responsible of the recording was still unknown.

“How did you get this?” Yoochun's face was all disbelief.

“Arrived today in the mail. The envelope was blank” Jaejoong said plain as day. Yoochun's widened eyes were glued to his face while Junsu kept staring at the video repeating itself.

“Clever. You can't report anything that way” Yoochun reasoned.

“You're right. There's no point in handing something so obsolete as this to any police officer, moreover with no one to blame” Jaejoong agreed.

“It could have something to do with your current case, no?” Junsu suggested while abandoning the propped position he was in. Yoochun gave him a congratulatory slap on the butt as he stretched his back.

“Our Junsu is saying some intelligent things today!”

“Yah! It's obvious” Junsu replied annoyed. He almost lost his balance with the sudden gesture.

“What do you two think?” Yoochun asked Jaejoong and Yunho. Junsu turned to look at the silent pair as well.

They exchanged glances and it didn't take a second to feel the awkwardness. Yoochun wrinkled his nose at the poor display and Junsu massaged his butt completely oblivious.

“We haven't discussed anything yet. I was hoping this was one of your pranks” Jaejoong said.

“But now that we know it isn't, the possibility of it being a threat of some kind is not so remote. This person has access to Jaejoong's house and can enter at any time” Yunho summed up.

“You're right” Yoochun agreed “Unfortunately, I don't think we can date the video. They must have edited out the date and hour. Does the decoration say anything to you, hyung?” he asked Jaejoong in hopes of pinpointing anything to a specific date.

“Not really. Besides it's dark and I haven't changed anything at home lately”

“If it's a threat related to your investigation then it must be recent” Junsu remembered them. The other three assented.

“What do you plan to do?” Yoochun asked Jaejoong “Do you need some place to stay or-”

Their conversation was suddenly interrupted by a knock on the door. An office girl came in and bowed respectfully before addressing Yunho.

“Yunho-sshi, we've just received a call from Homicide upstairs, they said it's urgent and called for you and Jaejoong-sshi”

“We'll be right up” he told her and she disappeared with a blushing smile. Jaejoong and Yoochun rolled their eyes at the girl and Junsu waved her goodbye.

“We will talk more about this later. Guard this” Jaejoong asked Yoochun pointing to the laptop and the video.

“Sure”

“Thank you”

“See ya soon then” Junsu said.

Yunho and Jaejoong bade their goodbyes as well and left the small room.

They both felt a sense of deja vu as they walked towards the lift in the same way of the first day of their acquaintance. Although for completely different reasons, they found themselves side by side waiting for the lift doors to open in the same uncomfortable silence. Yunho shifted his weight from one foot to the other and once the lift arrived they both walked inside. There was an impending smile on Jaejoong's lips which Yunho was unaware of. He was too concentrated on the floor counter going up to take notice of the short brunette with a giddy smile by his side. Truth be told, it was a sad excuse not to talk see or think about him. Nonetheless, Jaejoong reckoned the situation very funny and he was bent on making the most of it.

The lift stopped one floor before theirs and the two people riding with them stepped out. Once the doors closed again Yunho was unable to ignore his partner any longer. Jaejoong's stare was basically burning holes on his face and he had to do something about it. Wondering what urgent business had come up, thinking about that strange video or denying his existence the previous night were no match for those big doe eyes locked on him. Yunho gathered up enough courage and turned towards him.

“What?” he asked bitterly.

“You're more handsome than I thought” Jaejoong said casually, shrugging his shoulders and not even looking his way.

The doors of the lift opened up to the Homicide Department and Jaejoong walked out with a big grin on his face, very happy at his teasing. Yunho was left behind blushing to his ears and wondering if the comment had been a joke or not. He was almost sure he had heard something similar before.

* * *

The big urgency lived up to its importance. The warrant to search Seungri's apartment had finally come through and Yunho and Jaejoong were dispatched to the place to meet with the forensic team which was already on its way. The big news cheered the two detectives greatly and throughout their drive Yunho bet his happiness on that instead of the butterflies in his stomach. Call it safe measure. Jaejoong's subtle smile didn't disappear for a while either. It was curious how a mere slip of the tongue could change the heavy mood of the morning. Unfortunately, no one wanted to admit it or was too embarrassed to do so. The strange video recording was forgotten and their chat consisted of mundane subjects which avoided both the case and their unexpected cozy moment in the lift.

They arrived sooner than expected and, to their surprise, neither the forensic team nor the usual traffic policemen were there unrolling the yellow police line and securing the scene.

“Do you always arrive first at a crime scene?” Jaejoong asked looking out of the window at the empty street. Yunho snickered and took out the car keys.

“Sometimes, but this is not my first time at this scene” he said with a smirk. Jaejoong smirked back at him.

“Oh? Isn't that a secret?”

“Our secret”

“We shall keep it then” Jaejoong concluded.

The two inspectors left the car and proceeded to the apartment building, climbing the stairs towards Seungri's front door.

“Choi Seung-hyun” Yunho said out of the blue.

Jaejoong turned around towards him with a confused look.

“Who?”

“Choi-Something, remember?” Yunho said. He was standing in front of a neighboring door and pointing to the resident's name plate “That guy we met when we left Seungri's apartment last time. With the dark look”

“Ooh. That guy...” Jaejoong nodded “What about him?”

“You think he is home? We have to ask around anyway. Why not start with him?”

“Forget it. Let's go to Seungri's apartment first” Jaejoong said with a shrug “He really got your attention, uh? Are you attracted to dark haired males?”

“Are you joking?!” Yunho cried out. He stepped away from the neighbor’s door as if it was the plague and picked up his pace to catch up to Jaejoong who was already half a staircase away “He just seemed really suspicious”

“I still feel some prejudice coming from you” Jaejoong teased. Yunho grunted frustrated.

“It's just a hunch! What prejudice-”

“Ah! You just gave me an idea!” Jaejoong interrupted abruptly.

“What? What?” Yunho shot him a confused look.

“I'll tell you later”

“Later? Tell me now. What's it about? The case?”

Jaejoong turned to look at Yunho triumphantly. Yunho stopped in front of him and noticed they were standing just outside Seungri's apartment.

“Let's get this search over with and then I'll tell you. It's about the video. I won't say more” Jaejoong said, putting his index finger above his lips as indication he wouldn't give any further tips. Yunho lingered his gaze on the small gesture more than he should and then took a deep breath.

“Ok, let's do this”

Yunho opened the door as easily as he did the first time and Jaejoong followed him inside.

“I'll go check those photographs in the bedroom and see if there's any blond guy in them”

“Go ahead and don't forget the gloves. I'll see if there's anything different from last time” Yunho told him.

It didn't take both men much time to call each other again seeing as the apartment was small and unchanged.

“You got them?” Yunho asked Jaejoong in the middle of the living room.

“Got them” Jaejoong replied, photos in hand. He showed them to Yunho and pointed to the smiling young man in the pictures.

“You think that might be him, our blond driver?”

“Possibly. Zip them in a plastic bag. We'll bring those back and show them to Mrs. Park. She may recognize him” Yunho said.

“Sure. What about the rest of the apartment?”

“The forensic team will deal with that. Let's go wait for them outside”

Yunho and Jaejoong left the apartment and after closing the front door they came face to face with an unexpected sight. The same blond young man from the photographs was walking leisurely along the corridor, whistling an upbeat tune. The two inspectors shifted their gazes from the photo to the person a couple of times until the guy noticed them and halted.

“...” He opened his mouth but no words came out. It seemed as if his brain was processing too much information and dreading many hypothetical scenarios to say anything. His anxiety eventually showed on his face. Yunho was the first to address him.

“Excuse me, we're from Seoul Police Department, we would like to-”

The blond man turned around and disappeared so fast that a common person would have mistaken him for a bullet. Yunho and Jaejoong were apprehensive for a split second before chasing desperately after him.

“Stop!”

“I'll go through the back” Jaejoong muttered. Yunho jerked his head in consent and they split ways. Yunho ran towards the entrance of the building never losing sight of the blond man in front of him and Jaejoong sped to the back, racing through a weed garden and a couple of abandoned garages. He regained sight of Yunho and their suspect leaving the building's premises and ran after them on a parallel street.

Yunho kept chasing the guy. They were moving farther and farther away from their starting point and jumping across cars and low fences. Jaejoong entered his field of vision when they reached an intersection and Yunho ordered him to get the car. Jaejoong refused loudly.

“We'll just lose him!”

“Go back and do it! I'll keep him in my sight!”

The blond man turned his head around to glimpse at the two conflicting inspectors and took out his phone. Yunho and Jaejoong saw him babbling incoherently to it and soon enough a black car appeared out of nowhere blocking their path. Yunho reached for his gun immediately but the car window rolled down first, showering a round of bullets at his and Jaejoong's feet.

Yunho grabbed Jaejoong's collar violently and pulled him out of the way, shoving him behind a parked car. He shot back to cover Jaejoong and then joined him. The noise of the shots blasted in their ears and echoed throughout the block. Yunho held Jaejoong's head down and crouched as much as possible so as to dodge the bullets flying over their heads. When those stopped, he got right back up and unloaded the rest of his magazine on the car and its driver. The latter quickly lowered his head and dodged, eager to regain control of the wheel and drive off.

“Get down!” Jaejoong bellowed pulling Yunho down. A couple of shots flew their way from a different direction and only then did Yunho notice the blond guy charging from the backseat of the car.

“Stay down” Jaejoong told him. He unlocked the barrel of his gun and rose carefully, waiting for the moment the other party stopped to reload.

“Shit...” Yunho reloaded his gun as well and cursed “Can you see the number plate?”

“Not- really!” Jaejoong shouted under fire.

Before they could call for any backup or take the number plate, the driver stepped on the accelerator and finally managed to turn around and flee the scene. The car drove past Yunho and Jaejoong skillfully, allowing them to look at the faces inside it pretty clearly. The blond haired rascal waved at them with a big grin and the dark haired guy on the wheel barely spared them a glance. Yunho recognized him though: Choi Seung-hyun.

“Fuck!”

“Did they get you?” Jaejoong walked up to Yunho and reached for his arm.

“No, I'm fine” Yunho growled “What about you?”

“I'm okay”

Yunho sighed with relief and put his gun back on the holster. He was grateful nothing had happened to Jaejoong, but he couldn't stop feeling torn about having the two men escape. He rubbed his eyes tiredly and scratched the back of his neck.

“Don't worry. If those guys know Seungri they must definitely have a criminal record. The guns speak for themselves. We'll go back to the station and search for them in the database” Jaejoong said patting his back.

“Right”

They returned to Seungri's apartment in a slow, defeated walk. Jaejoong had his arm around Yunho's back and held him fondly, hoping it would somehow cheer him up. Yunho was so absorbed in his worries and failure he barely gave it a thought. Nonetheless, the yellow police lines were flashy enough to bring them back to reality and Jaejoong pulled his arm back briskly as soon as he saw them. His brusque move roused Yunho from his thoughts and he stepped away from Jaejoong feeling embarrassed.

“Yunho-sshi! Yunho-sshi! Jaejoong-sshi! We were looking for you” a young police officer came to greet them. He guided the two blushing inspectors to the apartment and they joined the forensics team in their appraisal of the scene.

While Yunho stayed with the forensic team throughout the whole assessment, Jaejoong busied himself with other matters after hearing the initial analysis. He began making calls and issuing arrest warrants for Choi Seung-hyun and looking for an ID of his and Seungri's blond haired friend. He returned to Yunho's side once he was done.

“Yunho-yah” he called softly.

Yunho interrupted his conversation with one of the assistant supervisors and gave him his whole attention.

“Yes? How was it?” he asked automatically.

“Fine. We've already got Choi Seung-hyun's criminal record. Database says he is also known as T.O.P.” Jaejoong informed “You know how these kind of guys give themselves nicknames...” he trailed off.

“What about the blond one?”

“Nothing on him yet. They've established a group of people connected with T.O.P. but they can't identify the other guy without a photo” Jaejoong said sadly.

Yunho sighed loudly and placed his hands on his hips tiredly.

“That's not bad...” he groaned. Jaejoong averted his eyes from Yunho's hips and looked at the forensic team working diligently behind him. His wandering mind was dangerously thrilled.

“I-I-I'll go to the station and g-give them the photos then” Jaejoong maundered nervously. He turned his back but Yunho caught him by the wrist.

“Wait a second. What about Mrs. Park? She could identify him with those” he said nodding his head towards the pictures.

Jaejoong gulped down a mass of air obstructing his throat and tug his wrist from Yunho's grasp. There was something about his pulse he didn't want revealed just yet.

“I'll give her a call and see if she can stop by the station” Jaejoong replied.

“Great. Do that. I'll stay here and wrap this up” Yunho smiled brightly.

Jaejoong smiled back and left the building, hitching a ride to the Police station from one of the Traffic officers.

* * *

Yunho arrived at the police station around 8PM. Needless to say it was quite late. Jaejoong was nowhere to be seen and Yunho began fearing he had gone home. He sat by his desk exhausted and after resting five minutes he began sorting out the most recent papers cluttering his desk. All of them regarded the forensic work that had been done during the afternoon except a small pile pertaining to the outdoor shooting and a folder from Kyuhyun's lab.

Yunho chose Kyuhyun's folder first and he was glad to know another substantial proof had been added to the case. According to the report, the bullets fired from Seungri's gun matched the ones retrieved from the bodies of two victims of the pool party slaughter. As expected, Seungri and Hyunjoong's cases were connected and now it all started to make sense. The group that had assaulted the house consisted of five people plus the driver. The four inside were most probably Seungri, T.O.P., Hyungjoong and his accomplice, and the driver of their escape the still unidentified blond guy. This hypothesis matched Daesung's testimony.

The corners of Yunho's mouth curled into a satisfied smile and he proceeded to the small pile of paperwork that related to the shooting. His grin fell to nothingness as pages and pages of complaints and compensation requests flew before his very eyes. The next meeting with the Chief would not be pleasant.

Yunho skipped to the preliminary forensic reports and signed what needed to be signed. He already knew all that had been concluded from their examination, only the lab tests were left to be disclosed. They had found an incredible amount of blood traces in the living room which easily constituted the crime scene along with a bullet that had missed its target and lodged itself in a dark corner of the room. No doubt Park Yeo Jin had been murdered there and dragged to her last resting place before the car exploded. The only question that remained to be answered was about her killer. Although the gun had been Seungri's, she was his girlfriend and taking into account their dealings with Hyunjoong, the dealer was not totally off the equation. Hopefully, the lab results would help them shed some light on the issue.

After giving his new paperwork the attention it needed, Yunho fished his phone to check on Jaejoong. Unfortunately, the Chief exited his office at the exact same time and Yunho had to go give him some explanations about the events of the afternoon, plead for forgiveness on the mild destruction of public and private property during the gunfire and relate to him the new developments on the case.

The whole thing took quite a while and even more so with the harsh reprimands of the Chief, who was not on a good day to say the least. Yunho was dismissed with a hiss and he returned to his desk feeling slightly deaf. He was actually surprised he could hear Jaejoong's voice when the later answered his call.

“Yunho-yah? Hello? Is everything ok?”

“More or less...” Yunho said sickly. He recapitulated the events of the evening to Jaejoong and sprinkled his reprise with a few complaints of his own to relieve some stress. Jaejoong's laugh and quirky commentaries lifted up his mood.

“How did things go on your side?” Yunho asked feeling a little relieved.

“At first not so well. The blond guy didn't check with anyone related to T.O.P. in the database and he doesn't seem to have a criminal record” Jaejoong said.

“We can't work with that” Yunho replied morosely.

“No we can't. But!” Jaejoong's enthusiastic voice shook Yunho's gloominess away.

“But?”

“But Mrs. Park recognized him. It's definitely him” Jaejoong said happily.

“Really??”

“Yeah. But we still don't have a name. We'll have to dig some old records and see if he's there somewhere, in prescribed crimes etc. Not to mention, get him an arrest warrant”

“Sure. I'll do that now” Yunho said.

“Are you joking? Have you looked at the time? It's past 9 already. Do you intend to skip dinner and sleep there?” Jaejoong retorted alarmed. Yunho shrugged his shoulders.

“I'm too tired to drive home and I still have to write apologies for the gunfire or the Chief will kill me tomorrow” Yunho explained.

“I'll go there to help you then” Jaejoong offered. Yunho smiled with gratitude but he felt like Jaejoong deserved his rest too. Besides, he needed a break from the alluring man if he wanted to keep his sanity intact. Not even a day had passed since his shameful jerking off. He was better alone.

“Don't bother. I can handle this. You can check my grammar and spelling tomorrow” Yunho said teasing. Jaejoong chuckled on the other side of the line. His voice really was something.

“Ok. I'll head home as you order, sir” he said “I'll tell you how my idea went tomorrow”

“Idea?” Yunho queried.

“Yes. Have you forgotten about that creepy DVD I've received this morning?” Jaejoong asked with a joking tone. Yunho gasped inaudibly and turned very grave.

“No, of course not, no...” he mumbled incoherently and rethought Jaejoong's proposition of helping him with the papers “You know what? I think I actually need your help”

“Oh? You do?” Jaejoong's fake surprise was intended to be comic but Yunho was deadly serious.

“Jaejoong come right away”

“But you said you could handle it”

“No, seriously, listen to me. Don't go home. Don't you dare”

“You sound really scary Inspector Jung~” Jaejoong said in a singsong voice.

“Jaejoong!”

“Yunho-yah, trust me. We don't know when that video was filmed. If anything happens Yoochun is with me” he said reassuringly. Yunho grunted.

“You're not going back after that stalker video!”

“I told you I had an idea, didn't I? Just trust me”

“Then tell me what it is” Yunho said calming himself.

“So you can judge it as you please? No way”

“But-”

“I'll be fine Yunho-yah. Thank you for worrying about me”

“Don't-”

“Bye bye~”

Jaejoong hung up before Yunho could utter another word. Yunho cursed loudly and hit his work desk violently with his fist. He was practically fuming out of every pore at Jaejoong's rebelliousness. Why did he have to be so stubborn and secretive? Yunho just wanted to help him. He really was worried. What if something happened? Who could assure him that Yoochun would be there to protect him?

Yunho rested his head on the nearest stack of papers and turned the copies of their new blond suspect downside so as not to stare at anything that could increase his bad humor. If possible Yunho wanted to eradicate stupidity and secrets from the universe, yet, as it was, he might as well quit his job. The cases, the suspects and even his partner, everything and everyone was revolting.

Instead of writing the apologies, Yunho fell asleep from exhaustion. His sleep was fleeting and sooner than later he began to rise from his slumber. The morning light became brighter and brighter and he could sense it behind his closed eyelids. Nevertheless, he was still in a dreamy state, not actually in control of what it was he dreamed about.

A soft hand ran its fingers through his hair and another caressed his face while someone gently called his name. Yunho could swear it was Jaejoong's husky voice whispering by his ear and clogging his body with unbearable warmth, but he wasn't sure it was real. He tried to pinch himself but he was too numbed with bliss to be able to do anything. The Jaejoong in his dream was just about to take shape when something hard hit the back of his neck. Yunho moaned painfully and opened his eyes slowly, feeling a floating sensation as he abandoned his dreams and returned to reality.

His office was bathed in sunlight and disastrous as usual. His body hurt from the ungraceful position in which he had fallen asleep and his neck throbbed with a slight stinging pain. Yunho massaged the spot still half-asleep and then rotated his chair to the side to look at the person standing beside him.

He recognized him immediately but something was strange. Different. Yunho stared hard at the black hair framing Jaejoong's face.

“It's black?”

“I dyed it”

“I can see that”

“I told you I had an idea” Jaejoong said happily.


	12. Chapter 12

Yunho stared hard at Jaejoong's new dark locks. He might have looked focused, however, his mind was going through a big blank having just resurfaced from a hazy dream. The numbness prevented him from deciphering the true purpose of the black dye and thus he took it as one of Jaejoong's whims.

“It's black” he repeated. Jaejoong glared in response.

“Yes, I know. You want to keep stating the obvious or are you going to elaborate on your theory?”

Yunho tried to nod but a big yawn interrupted his good act. Jaejoong sighed and reached for his swivel chair.

“Well, seeing how interested you are I'll just tell you right off” he said sitting down and dragging the chair towards Yunho. Once the chairs collided softly he cheeped a sweet “Good morning” which blew away Yunho's remaining grogginess and brought forth inevitable heart strain.

“'Morning” he replied with a smile. Yunho didn't manage to see Jaejoong's face since the he had busied himself with a laptop, turning it on and taking out a DVD from its case.

A DVD? Yunho's eyes bulged out suddenly. Reality slapped him in the face and he was forced to sit up straight.

“Hey! Don't tell me that's-”

“You finally noticed it?”

“Another one?!” Yunho moved his chair closer and inched his face closer to Jaejoong to take a look at the resentful object “Have you seen it? Why did you sleep at home?! What did I tell you? Where was Yoochun? What the fuck did-”

“Calm down. I'm still here, aren't I?” Jaejoong answered quietly.

“You might as well not be!”

“You're exaggerating”

“I knew I should have done some-”

Jaejoong grabbed Yunho's wrist and guided his hand to the place above his heart silencing the taller inspector completely.

“Can you hear it beating?”

The gesture made Yunho's already flustered face blush even more stupidly. He could feel the steady thumping of Jaejoong's heart under his palm and the soft fabric of his sweater caressing his skin. Everything about Jaejoong was soothing, probably even the soles of his boots.

“Yes” Yunho averted his gaze from the doe eyes fixated on him and gently pulled back his hand. Jaejoong let it go with a sad smile and turned towards the laptop ready to click open the windows.

“I know it was a little reckless but-”

“A little?” Yunho interrupted with sarcasm.

“Ok, it was reckless-”

“Very-”

“I get it-”

“In fact, I think it was stupid-”

“OK! Let me finish!”

Jaejoong clicked again and the DVD started playing. The video was much like the first one, starting at the threshold of Jaejoong's apartment and slowly proceeding through a narrow dim-lit hall.

“It was too late to prepare a hidden camera last night so I went across the street to Yoochun's house to see if he could fix me something” Jaejoong explained while both his and Yunho's eyes were glued to the screen “No such luck as you can imagine. I was forced to revert back to my original plan. Nothing fancy though. We didn't even know if the video and the supposed 'stalker' were recent. Anyway, I went with that and decided to test the prick. Remember when Yoochun asked me if I had changed anything at home? Something on the video that could pinpoint a certain time or date?”

Yunho nodded silently not moving another muscle.

“Well, I thought of that when we were talking about TOP yesterday. If I changed anything at home the stalker would probably notice that I was onto him so I had to change something about myself, something a bit superfluous that would be captured on camera... Black hair doesn't look too bad, does it?” Jaejoong wondered aloud. He ran a hand through his hair and Yunho had to break away from the video to look at his partner. He didn't know what to say except that the hair framed his face perfectly. It was as if not another hairstyle or color could have ever been there.

“No. It's perfect” Yunho replied honestly. Jaejoong shrugged his shoulders.

“Really? It's my natural hair color, I never really liked it...” he mumbled with pursed lips.

“I do. It's my favorite”

Jaejoong stopped fumbling with his bangs and turned shyly towards Yunho with nothing smart to say. Yunho noticed his embarrassment and felt it too, a thousandfold.

“Thank you” Jaejoong smiled “It was a stupid idea but as you can see” he shied away to the screen again “it worked to some extent”

The camera finally reached Jaejoong's bedroom and as it approached the sleeping figure, a black mop of hair could be seen contrasting against the white pillow.

“Now we can say for sure that this happened last night” Jaejoong concluded.

“I see” Yunho agreed. He was torn between feelings of anger and relief. The carelessness of the act afflicted him to no end and he regretted not having been there to arrest the bastard. The more he thought about the possibility of any harm coming to Jaejoong the worse he felt. Moreover, Jaejoong's smiley face of accomplishment did not help to sooth his mood. It annoyed him severely and made it impossible for Yunho not to scold the beautiful man.

“What are you so happy about? You just put your life on the line!” he scoffed.

The satisfaction disappeared from Jaejoong's expression in a second.

“We weren't sure of anything. I had to take the risk” he sputtered back irritated.

“Well, you won't be risking anything anymore” Yunho said peremptorily. Jaejoong lifted a brow at his arrogant tone.

“What does that mean?”

“We're arresting that creep tonight” Yunho decided “I don't even need a place to sleep”

Jaejoong opened his mouth to protest when the phone on Yunho's desk rang abruptly. Yunho picked it up automatically, almost purposefully so as to ignore Jaejoong's complaints.

“Yes? ...Sir?! Yes, yes... I'll be right there” he uttered nervously to the receiver and then hung up.

“It was the Chief. He wants to talk about the apologies I still haven't written. I have to go” Yunho said quickly rising from his chair. Jaejoong stood up as well and followed him with clumsy steps.

“Wait, wait, wait-. What do you mean a place to sleep? Do you intend on camping by my house, lurking in the shadows while waiting for the guy to show up? That's crazy, I-” Jaejoong bumped into Yunho's back not noticing the taller man had halted before exiting the office.

“Crazy? What about you??” Yunho exclaimed as he turned around “Using yourself as bait for some stalker!”

Jaejoong hissed itching for a cigarette.

“I did what I could! Anyway, I don't need your help, Chun and I will solve this. There's no need for you to come to my hou-”

Jaejoong's back collided with the white wall of the office violently before he could finish his sentence. Yunho's grip on his collar was vicious and for a moment he thought the man was going to snap and punch him in the face.

“Stop being stubborn and listen” Yunho rasped. Jaejoong gulped down his surprise and focused on the handsome face in front of him which was very far from pleased.

“I don't trust Yoochun. I don't trust anyone with you”

Yunho's voice was barely a whisper yet it resounded inside Jaejoong's mind like a scream. The more it echoed the louder it got.

The fraction of time they locked stares felt like eternity and while Jaejoong fished for words with which to reply, Yunho tried to hide his discomposing thoughts.

“Oh” Jaejoong breathed afraid to stutter “And why is that?” he blurted rapidly, hardly repressing a smile.

Yunho was too high on his turmoil of emotions to think straight. His heart was beating too fast for him to even acknowledge the usage of his brain-to-mouth filter. The words had just slipped right out and he knew it. He stepped back from the asphyxiating closeness to Jaejoong and took a deep breath before responding.

“There are some things I can't say without sounding like a fool” he said.

Jaejoong's eyes swelled in surprise and Yunho left the room.

* * *

Jaejoong rushed out of the office in a quick step concealing as best as he could the fear, the anxiety, the doubt and the misery he felt. His face was a mask he had trained all too well and he held onto that to keep up his facade. As soon as he reached the staircase he climbed it down calmly. If not for his unusual face not a soul would have remembered him ever being there.

He reached the entrance of the building and as soon as he was out and far from the range of the surveillance cameras he took out his phone and dialed the familiar number. It rang twice before a cool and playful voice answered.

“Hey”

“Hey” Jaejoong felt his throat going dry.

“It's strange to receive a call from you but considering the gifts I've sent you this was to be expected” the male said with a chuckle. Jaejoong crossed the street and mingled with the passersby.

“I knew it was you” he said devoid of emotion.

“That obvious, was I?”

Jaejoong didn't answer. His silence was reply enough and it urged the man to continue.

“It's just a little diversion while I take care of those two. Besides, we don't want you and your new friend getting ahead of my game, do we?”

The ease with which he spoke of his plan as if it was the most ordinary thing in the world froze Jaejoong from within. Fortunately, he was already used to it. Immune.

“They know what happened to Seungri and they know I am coming after them next. That's why they are running around like rats, except they don't know the cage they're in”

“Seungri isn't dead” Jaejoong said. A pause followed.

“He will be if he ever wakes up”

Jaejoong turned a corner and took shelter from the loud and frantic crowd in a side alley.

“Just keep an eye on him”

“Yeah”

“I'll send you another video tomorrow. Perhaps you could even invite me for dinner. I wouldn't have to come in uninvited” the man said humorously.

The hairs at the back of Jaejoong's neck stood up in protest.

“You can't today”

The blunt rejection struck a chord and the reaction was immediate.

“What?”

“I am having someone over. It's best if you don't show up. Also, if you keep doing it every night someone is prone to catch you” Jaejoong said reasonably. The man laughed.

“Very good, Jae, very good. You're as sharp as ever. Having fun with your new puppet?”

The hand holding the phone tensed as spasms of contempt took the better of Jaejoong's control.

“Not as much as I'd like” he said bitterly.

“That's why you're having him over tonight?”

The shrewd remark caught Jaejoong off guard.

“Just keep low” he said.

“I will and you... don't get too close to the fire or it will burn”

Jaejoong sneered.

“I know, Hyunjoong. I know”

* * *

“I was starting to think you wouldn't come or that you had forgotten our lunch entirely” Heechul grumbled from his comfy seat by the window “It would not surprise me to be honest”

Yunho smiled apologetically and slumped in the opposite seat.

“Sorry I'm late. I still had apologies to write when the Chief called me this morning” he explained.

Heechul laughed, glad he wasn't the only one getting reproaches from their boss.

“Serves you right. Always fooling around with the bitchy princess. You'd have your punishment sooner or later”

Yunho ignored the comment and reached for the menu just to busy his hands.

“So, what did you want to talk about? Seemed quite serious yesterday” Yunho said diving directly into the main subject. He could only hope it was something important this time and not further nonsense about his emotional stability and social relationships. He had no patience whatsoever for it and, accounting for his recent loss of self-control at home, speaking with Heechul would only make him feel worse. The best thing to do was lock everything away in the back of his mind and pray to God nothing weird would come out of his friend's mouth. Altogether that was already a lot to ask for.

“It is serious” Heechul complied. His order arrived at that moment and only after Yunho chose his own did the lanky inspector began unraveling his story.

“First” he raised two fingers “You should take these as two different and unrelated occurrences but who knows what the future might tell us. Bear with it for a while, ok?” Heechul smiled and took a sip of his drink.

“You know how I've been working on those minor cases of dead junkies and sometimes low profile dealers right? They all seem to gravitate around the same circle of people and the same stuff. Nothing unusual. However, the last two junkies Hangeng and I caught were high-class kids with a different kind of entertainment; heroin”

The word made Yunho stiffen. He could already imagine what was coming.

“Hyunjoong?” the name of the man he had been chasing relentlessly for months spewed out of his mouth with contempt.

“Yes. I was surprised at the extent of his network” Heechul confessed “The more I dig up the more unexpected high-placed names pop up. Be them clients or simply people who keep it all hush, it's shocking”

Yunho clenched his fist and rubbed a temple with his free hand. The gravity of the situation demanded for immediate action but how? When? Where?

“I know it sucks” Heechul said plainly. His usual mischievous face was shadowed by a frown “Supposing he is protected by all the elite he supplies, it won't be easy to touch him. That's why nobody has ever got to him”

“That's why he bombed Seungri's car” Yunho stated. Everything was starting to make sense in his head “The kid and his friends must have messed up his plan and Hyunjoong is making sure they don't live to tell it”

“Or else his cover is blown? Is that what you mean?” Heechul wondered. He was sufficiently informed about Yunho's case to keep up with his train of thought.

“More or less. His cover was already blown, except nobody has ever had enough proof to bring him in” Yunho said with a sparkle in his eye “It must have been the pool slaughter. It all went downhill from there. I know it!”

Heechul smirked “I see I've got you all excited again, but I haven't told you my second story yet”

Yunho, who had his stare locked in the wooden surface of the table deep in thought, looked up at his friend with an expression renewed with strength.

“What is it?”

“This is the good part” Heechul grinned.

The waitress returned with Yunho's food and apologized for bringing his drink so late. Yunho reassured her with a smile, saying it was ok, and once she was gone Heechul resumed his speech.

“You might as well drink it up because these news will leave you dry” he said pointing to Yunho's bottle. Yunho sent him a perplexed look and began pouring the contents of the bottle into a glass. Heechul nodded his approval and drank as well.

“Want me to beat around the bush?” Heechul teased.

“No” was Yunho's blunt reply.

“I figured. Well, it's about Princess-sshi”

Yunho put down his glass forcefully.

“Do we have to speak about Jaejoong every time we-”

“Now we do” Heechul pressed. There was a small pause before he continued “I don't think his record speaks the entire truth”

Yunho looked at him uneasy. That certainly was not what he had expected.

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“I've found some discrepancies here and there. Dates that don't match, clumsy cover work. There's a two year gap before he joined the Seoul Police Department that doesn't seem to make sense”

Yunho was speechless. He was immediately reminded of his short conversation with Yoochun about the time length of his and Jaejoong's acquaintance a few nights ago. Yunho had been slightly confused at the time since the drunken fella had specifically said four years and not two. He had not even corrected himself.

“According to my initial research he was supposedly stationed at a task force by the frontier. Some menial bureaucratic job” Heechul said, paying no heed to Yunho's sudden inner distress. He carried on.

“I pried the issue only to discover it was a sham. Something to fill the blank spaces”

Yunho's throat was dry. He took a gulp from his drink. His food was untouched.

“I decided to track his life story back from his Academy days. Pulled a couple of strings here and there” Heechul smirked “And I eventually got as close to the truth as I could. Between the Academy days and our police force Kim Jaejoong was sent overseas for 'further training effectiveness' but none of the emails I sent and calls I've made were able to tell me where he went to, who sent him and why he came back” he sighed “Nor could they give me a detailed report of what his specialized training consisted of. It's all very private. Impossible to access”

Yunho nodded with his head a bit aloof.

“You're taken aback” Heechul stated. There was a disconcerting smile on his lips. He was enjoying the debacle.

“Yes, I am. I had no idea about any of this” Yunho said seriously “I had stumbled upon that two year gap issue once before but I didn't give it much credit at the time. I'm not sure I do even now”

“You what?!” Heechul exclaimed “How can you say that? The bastard is definitely hiding something”

“If he is I'm sure he has reasons to. It's not our place to judge him for that” Yunho replied sharply.

“Yunho, my friend. We're talking about a possible order from above here. Have you forgotten the rotten cases of elite corruption I've told you about earlier? Your dear princess may be in a dangerous mix” Heechul declared. He was not as calm as before but his voice was still cool and low.

Yunho shook his head and picked up his chopsticks.

“Let's just eat and finish this talk some other time. I still have work to do. Beside this is not the place to be discussing this matter”

Heechul nodded.

“Yes, you're right. I'll investigate further before our next talk then-”

“No”

Heechul put down his spoon as quickly as he had picked it up.

“What?”

“Don't do it. I trust him” Yunho said.

“Oh? You do? Out the kindness of your heart?” Heechul snarled.

Yunho stood silent. His firm expression made Heechul break eye contact and look at the cup he held in his hands instead. He quickly began to sing another tune.

“Last time at bowling... sorry. I was a bit of a prick teasing you like that”

“Yeah. That was some good teasing” Yunho said bitterly.

“I said I'm sorry” Heechul repeated looking up at Yunho. The latter curled up his lips a bit in sympathy.

“Hey, believe it or not, I'm just trying to help you. Give you a warning”

“What about?”

“About him obviously” Heechul uttered desperately “About putting your trust in the wrong man, giving it so blindly to someone you've just met, letting your heart run over your head, or as a matter-of-fact, your dick-”

“Enough” Yunho's harsh tone brought the conversation to a peremptory end.

Heechul looked at him bewildered. They had barely touched their meals which were now growing cold and irrelevant.

“Do what you want. Do whatever you must. I gotta go” Yunho said standing up. He took out his wallet and dropped a few bills on the table to pay for his lunch.

“Wait. You have to listen to me, you stubborn man!”

“I will when you have concrete evidence”

“I'm onto something here!”

“Then work hard inspector” Yunho cheered. Heechul cursed and got up in a last effort.

“At least try to get it from him. The truth...”

Yunho waved goodbye and headed towards the entry.

“... or else you're just out to get your heart broken”.

Yunho was already crossing the road.

* * *

He stampeded back to the station barely looking left or right. What was he supposed to do? What did Heechul expect him to do once he had spilled everything like that? It was not like Heechul had undeniable proof to base his accusations. They were just suppositions, doubts, vague shit that Yunho did not need to add to his life. He already had his hands full with loose ends.

He pressed the button to call the lift and stood waiting.

It was a matter of belief. Of trust. He knew it but Heechul was too groundless to be trusted completely, moreover, he always had his own interests in mind. Yunho was well aware of that. Jaejoong, on the other hand, was... a problem.

The lift arrived and opened its doors. Yunho strolled inside unconsciously, choosing a corner at the back.

He had told Heechul he trusted Jaejoong. That he did. Completely unexpectedly. The words had slipped right out of his mouth like some indisputable truth and he hated himself because he knew exactly why he had done it; why that statement was true. It were those feelings. That awful untamed thing he allowed to live inside of him turning him soft. It was a weakness. Something he had to protect. Thus, he protected Jaejoong even if the pretty man didn't need protection. Jaejoong didn't know anything. As long as Yunho was like this, feeling like this, suffering like this, enduring it, he would have to protect and trust him. Even if protecting him might just be Yunho deluding himself. He could not do otherwise. He couldn't.

The lift doors opened.

To some extent he did trust him. Without excuses, without shame. He genuinely trusted Jaejoong. There was no arguing that.

The lunch he had scarcely eaten was digesting slowly in his stomach, more acid than substance. The resulting nauseous effect seemed to double once he entered his office. Yoochun was sitting on Jaejoong's chair with his feet plastered on the table while Jaejoong smoked cautiously by the window. They must have been plotting something.

“Yo! Hyung” Yoochun greeted with a wave of hand.

“Hey”

“How are you?”

“Good” Yunho replied shortly. He was about to remark something about Yoochun's feet on the desk when his sober countenance fell to shreds. The cause was simple. He exchanged glances with Jaejoong and remembered their last conversation. Shit. For a few seconds suicide didn't seem that awful.

Jaejoong turned his gaze back at the window before speaking.

“Have you had lunch yet?”

“Yeah” Yunho answered nonchalantly, mentally looking back at the cold plate of food he had left at the restaurant.

“Was it good?”

“It was ok” Yunho turned to Yoochun hoping for a change of subject. He felt Jaejoong was too uncooperative at the moment. It was best to try unraveling whatever it was they had been plotting by talking to Yoochun.

“So, has he told you about the new video that showed up this morning?” he asked. Yoochun nodded and opened his mouth to speak but Yunho wasn't done yet. His bad temper resurfaced momentarily as he went on “And did he mention how brilliantly his stupid plan went, certainly not thanks to you-”

“Knock it off” Jaejoong hissed. Yunho ignored him.

“I know, I know. I know you're angry about that but, please hyung, you must understand-”

“I do” Yunho replied shortly “It's just frustrating because something bad could have happened and-”

“And what hyung? Was it sloppy police job, is that it? Jaejoong-hyung can take care of himself”

There was a short pause. Jaejoong and Yunho locked stares in a defiant manner, expressing both their stubbornness regarding the subject, and Yoochun sat there silently judging them. He cleared his throat to catch Yunho's attention.

“Anyway, I've talked with Jaejoong hyung about precautions. You don't need to worry. I've already managed to get my hands on two portable surveillance cameras. We can install them near the apartment building for a couple of days, nobody needs to know. They won't be seen either” he said with a smirk. Yunho complied.

“When will they be operational?”

“Tomorrow. I'm picking them up tonight but I still have to install them and hitch them up to the computer. Meanwhile, Jaejoong-”

“I got him covered” Yunho concluded. His statement made Jaejoong jerk his neck in protest.

“You're still hung up on that?”

“Yes and I will not be persuaded”

“Yah! You can't just do whatever you want! I have not agreed nor consented to anything!” Jaejoong rebuked.

Yunho stood quietly in his spot, staring at Jaejoong's doe eyes with alarm. He did have a point.

“You're right. But, unless you're hiding something dangerously illegal at home which you wouldn't want me to find, I don't see what's the problem of me being there. For your protection, no less” he added.

Yoochun nodded and turned the swivel chair towards Jaejoong who puffed his cheeks.

“Yunho-hyung is right. What's the problem? You cook him your awesome ddeokbokki for dinner and he will even do another night of bodyguard for free I bet”

Jaejoong's frown softened at the joke. He was still apprehensive about the idea, mainly because Yunho discomposed him so, and having him over at his house sounded all too frightening. Nevertheless, it was an alluring idea as well. He sought Yunho's expression after Yoochun's remark and it suffices to say that the glint he saw in his eyes warmed his chest instantly. If there had been any blush on Jaejoong's cheeks previously, it surely had progressed to a flaming flush now. Jaejoong turned his back towards the source of his emotional instability and put out his cigarette. He strolled to his desk, shooed Yoochun away and sat down poring over his work, or at least he pretended to, since some thoughts were difficult to dispel completely.

“Ok. You can come” he said quietly.

Yoochun and Yunho exchanged smug looks. They basked in their little victory before consigning themselves to their respective jobs.

“Since everything is settled now, I'll be on my way” Yoochun smiled.

Jaejoong didn't spare him a glance. Yunho took the seat behind his desk and waved Yoochun goodbye while mouthing a 'Thank You'. Soon afterward, when the office door closed, he received a strong kick under the table. Courtesy of one Kim Jaejoong.

* * *

By the end of the evening, they ditched the office and stopped by a corner shop on their way to Jaejoong's apartment to buy groceries for dinner. Jaejoong was a tomb throughout the whole ordeal. Yunho examined him behind a shelf with amusement. His partner had not spared him any resentment even after agreeing to their plan. He fidgeted from one place to another, doing it almost purposefully every time Yunho got near.

Unbeknownst to Yunho, however, Jaejoong was having trouble coping with the prospect of his future night, in particular the thought of having Yunho over. He tried to reason with himself believing it was only fair since he had been to Yunho's apartment before. Nonetheless, he felt vulnerable, more vulnerable than he had felt in years. He doubted his ability to maintain his mask, to keep concealing what had to be concealed. Opening his house to Yunho was undeniable proof of that. It made Jaejoong see how close they had become, how much he had entrusted the man. It was a sign. And though his house hid nothing, he did. A lot. But it was becoming less and less when it came to Yunho.

“Here we are” Jaejoong announced when they parked outside his building.

“Oh. So this is it... seems nice”

“It's a piece of crap”

“You're being too harsh”

“See for yourself then”

It was probably Jaejoong's high standards and typical tidiness speaking for themselves because, in Yunho's eyes, the place seemed clean to perfection. Not that his standards were anything close to ideal in comparison. Yunho's house tended to oscillate between apocalyptic mess and unscathed void.

Jaejoong scooted away towards the kitchen with arms full and Yunho followed. The former put down the grocery bags on the counter and began taking out the contents.

“Looks much better than on those vids” Yunho remarked.

“Well, light helps see it better, for one” Jaejoong answered wittily. Yunho didn't listen though. He was looking around half mesmerized, memorizing every little detail. He didn't know if it was a biased action or sincere curiosity. He was too immersed at the moment to ponder on the subject.

“Are you at a crime scene? Could you stop boring holes on my walls? I rent this place”

Yunho broke his trance started, feeling a tinge of red coloring his cheeks.

“Oh, it's the habit” he answered speedily before Jaejoong could berate him further. Yunho's lie was poorly convincing to both men, as everything that involved Jaejoong turned out to be of late. Yunho knew he was genuinely interested in the house. He just had a sadistic enjoyment in deluding himself.

“Why don't you just settle on the living room while I cook, uh? Follow me-” Jaejoong prompted but Yunho rejected firmly.

“What?” he exclaimed “No way. I want to see you cook. You need any help?”

Jaejoong found the suggestion mortifying. His heart had leaped with bliss for a second, yet, the thought of having Yunho sitting there watching him was overwhelming. His deep brown eyes glued to his back, overseeing his every move. The mere possibility drove Jaejoong crazy. It was best to keep Yunho occupied even if his cooking skills were below negative.

“O-Ok” Jaejoong agreed.

Yunho gave him a wide smile and jumped to his side eager to do his part.

“You can wash the vegetables” Jaejoong pointed towards the sink and gave Yunho a blank stare. The later frowned immediately.

“You think that's all I can do?” he uttered with disbelief. The outburst brought forth a loud laugh from Jaejoong.

“If you can do that without whining I'll promote you to vegetable chopper” Jaejoong announced with a serious face.

Yunho pouted slightly and walked over to his appointed post grumbling.

“No yammering!” Jaejoong warned wide eyed. Yunho nodded fervently with his head and turned on the faucet. Jaejoong shrugged his shoulders and resumed his chores with a mischievous smile.

The pans were heating and the vegetables were washed when Yunho came to Jaejoong pleading his promotion. The latter, who was preparing the meat, gave it without praise. Yunho then began chopping the cabbage crudely triggering a peevish intervention from Jaejoong.

“No, no, no. Not like that. Here, give me that” He chided, snatching the knife from Yunho's hand.

“Do it like this. Steady. Same distance between them. We want thin slices...”

Jaejoong was too concentrated on his instructing task to notice how their hands touched, how Yunho's chin almost rested on his shoulder, how his cheek wavered millimeters away from his own and how Yunho's entire figure enveloped his. It took him Yunho's novice question to notice the proximity. When he turned around to reproach him and give an elaborate explanation their noses almost touched. Jaejoong was candidly shocked and took two steps back unintentionally. His actions made the whole situation perceptible to the dense Yunho as well.

“Don't mind it. I'll finish that” Jaejoong recovered hastily “Why don't you go put the table. Everything is on that cupboard to your left” he mumbled embarrassed, heartbeat ramming nonstop against his ribcage.

After miserably loitering around the counter for half a minute he walked speedily to the fridge. He took out some leftover kimchi and returned to chopping the vegetables.

On his end, Yunho was thankful for the escape. He couldn't stop bashing his lack of self-control and sense of propriety. It was starting to get incredibly ridiculous and out of hand, not to mention how Jaejoong was painfully aware of him. This has to stop. He said to himself over and over again as he took out the spoons and chopsticks. He had to survive the night without any more stupidity.

Thankfully, the small incident was completely ignored and eventually forgotten as the evening progressed. The fact that Jaejoong's meal was a success contributed a lot to the change of mindsets and overall mood. Yunho spent at least twenty minutes commending it, comparing it to his mom's cooking and saying how impossible it was for him to even conceive a man cooking so well. He had tasted Changmin's cooking in the past, nothing special, actually it had been a bad experience for both of them, so he was, in short, very much admired.

Jaejoong tried to take the compliments lightly, but blame his heart, it was impossible. He could not even hide his beaming smile, though once they started on homemade food he could hardly shut up about it. Hours passed before they knew it and it was close to midnight when they finally decided to check the time. The kitchen table was a sea of debris, filled with dishes of various sizes, pots and half a dozen bottles of soju. Jaejoong sighed desperately as he did each time he looked at Yunho's chaotic desk at work.

“Shit. I guess I'll clean this up tomorrow morning” he said tiredly.

“I'll do the dishes as a thanks for the wonderful dinner” Yunho proposed with a smile. Jaejoong looked up at him with suspicion.

“Really?” he did not quite believe it.

“Sure” Yunho replied. He had already started to pile up the plates when Jaejoong tried to intercede.

“No. You're my guest. I should-” Jaejoong got up from his chair but Yunho's hands on his shoulders forced him to sit down.

“You just stay there. Let me do this” he said in a gentle voice Jaejoong had no will whatsoever to fight against.

“All right”

He sat there happily during the whole time it took Yunho to clean up. Jaejoong found it a torture as it was too perfect to be true. He examined Yunho's frame head to foot, he watched him turn around to take the piles of plates and dishes to the sink, his cocky smirk when their eyes met, his foot scratching his leg occasionally, his pursed lips as he whistled a tune. Jaejoong felt he could stay there all night long. In fact, he could do that every single day of his life without the tiniest bit of protest. Yunho's broad shoulders seemed to have been made just so he could stare at them as he did now.

“All done~” Yunho cheeped relieved. He ran a hand through his hair and faced Jaejoong who had a dreamy look on his face.

“Jaejoong-ah?” he called uncertainly “Jaejoong? You listening?” he waved a hand in front of his face until the far-off glance disappeared.

“Uh, oh, yes. Thank you so much” Jaejoong blurted out, almost stammering. Yunho gave him a reassuring smile and brought out two more bottles of soju.

“Last one before going to sleep” he said.

* * *

“You know this is actually very creepy right?” Jaejoong's voice said in the darkness of his living room.

“Yeah”

“More creepy than the creeper we are creeping on”

“Yes, I do know that. Thanks for pointing it out so clearly”

“Asshole”

“You did point it out”

“But it is creepy. We, here, waiting silently in the dark, moreover drinking and smoking. He will notice the smell and the extra people as soon as he picks the lock” Jaejoong ranted on. They were both sitting on the carpeted floor with backs leaning against the couch. The faint light from the moon and nearest street lights entered the room from its only window and allowed the men inside to distinguish the contours of the objects and their near vicinity. The ashes of their cigarettes shined a brief orange light before dying out.

“I won't let him run away”

“Yeah right. You'll just shout, 'Stop! Police!' and be done with it” Jaejoong mocked, mimicking Yunho's southern accent. The act earned him an elbow to the stomach.

“Ow! Want me to spit my drink?” Jaejoong rebelled.

“You seem to have an infinite stash of soju so I guess it's no problem” Yunho joked.

“Oh very funny” Jaejoong replied taking a gulp from the bottle.

“Jaejoong-ah, don't you think you've had enough? We have work tomorrow. Have some sleep” Yunho said reaching his hand out towards the bottle Jaejoong was clutching.

“I'm fine. I have great tolerance to alcohol. My limit is-”

“Your limit is irrelevant if your drinking pace is too fast” Yunho rationalized.

“Fair enough” Jaejoong said and finished his drink.

He was glad he wasn't drunk. He wanted to stay as sober and alert as possible while Yunho was there. He wanted to enjoy his presence fully, especially because they weren't on the job. They were just spending time as friends and though they had not perceived it earlier since they had been too busy fussing over their dinner, Jaejoong was now completely aware of it and he couldn't get enough. He never wanted the night to end. Their time as friends was intoxicating. The more he had of it, the better it was and the more he craved. The more strange feelings he had, the more silly fantasies filled his head. He was just so foolishly happy he could hardly believe it. It seemed like the rest of his life didn't exist.

“Fuck! I can't move my legs. My joints fucking hurt” he cursed as he tried to get up.

“You're not fit to be a policeman anymore, old man” Yunho laughed.

“Who's old idiot!”

“Go on to bed and have some rejuvenating sleep”

“Shut it”

“You need it”

Jaejoong gasped loudly and turned around outraged.

“You bastard!” he lunged at Yunho roughly and toppled him down “You want to die?”

Yunho's childish laugh echoed near his ear.

“Not so soon” he chuckled. His breath caressed Jaejoong's neck and the latter felt it overly hot and sultry due to the darkness. His senses were sharpened. He could barely see Yunho yet he was extremely aware of how close he was since he had pushed him back. He wondered if he was too far from his lips and what small distance it would take to join them. Maybe not that much.

“Jaejoong?” Yunho's voice was coated in concern as he called him. His silence must have worried him. Jaejoong felt a hand rising up to grab his waist and another up on his shoulder groping its way towards his cheek.

“Are you ok? Feeling sick?” Yunho wondered in whispers.

Jaejoong took the hand on his cheek and replied.

“Yes, it's fine. I'm just a little tired”

What the fuck was he thinking really. All the obvious reasons for regret and subsequent conduct rained down on him. Yunho. A man. A co-worker. A policeman. Him. A key piece. Jaejoong pulled away and laid back once more next to Yunho. A wall of air separated them. Jaejoong closed his eyes.

“Remember a few days ago when you asked me if I could save you?” Yunho spoke suddenly.

Jaejoong was silent and confused. He had no idea what he was talking about.

“You probably don't”

“I guess...” Jaejoong whispered, racking his brain trying to remember.

“Doesn't matter. You were drunk at the time. But I want you to know this” Yunho said gravely “Wherever, whenever you need any saving, I'll always be there for you”

Jaejoong was very still. Petrified. To Yunho it seemed like a marble statue was lying next to him. He reached out his hand and searched for Jaejoong's.

“I'll save you” He said. He squeezed Jaejoong's hand and intertwined their fingers. It was a comforting gesture and though both their hearts tended to beat erratically at the slightest touch now they were soothed and calm. Jaejoong felt sure that if there was anyone in the world that could save him it was Jung Yunho and Yunho knew that if there was any purpose to him meeting Jaejoong that was it.


	13. Chapter 13

Jaejoong opened his eyes to a superb and unusual sight.

There was no morning light to greet him since it had dawned a cloudy day, yet he could clearly see something which he rarely had the opportunity to bestow his eyes upon. If he recalled correctly, the first and last time it had occurred had been less than two days ago when he had arrived at the office and stumbled upon a sleeping Jung Yunho half-sprawled over his desk.

Jaejoong had to admit at first it had been hilarious. He was forced to contain himself from laughing aloud and awaking the poor inspector. Yunho's position was too funny, his drooling expression endearing and his semi-open eyes kind of creepy. Nobody would have been indifferent to the sight. Nevertheless, Jaejoong's good nature allied with his unnerving thoughts got the better of him. His will to laugh vanished as soon as he approached the sleeping man and allowed his feelings to run amok. It was impossible to reject or even try to forget them since they had become a constant in his life. His fingers were already running through the other man's hair before he knew it; his hopes were soaring high that nobody would catch him indulging in his own secret desires.

Jaejoong was entirely aware of the danger and he knew he was loosing control every minute that passed by. He wondered in fear just how much of it he had lost when Yunho had held his hand the past night, telling him he would save him. Jaejoong didn't know if his heart had been wrenched to a definite stop or lulled to sleep right then. He imagined the latter. Or perhaps both. That same alluring face in front of him now only filled him with more doubts. It was beyond disturbing. It kindled things in him he was compelled to bury down in his soul, though he failed miserably at it, inevitable as it was.

“What am I going to do?” he asked Yunho's sleepy figure.

There was no answer. Just a quiet snore. Jaejoong smiled and nestled his head on his arm watching the other man breathe for a while.

He was never happier than during those moments when life seemed so simple.

“Just watching you sleep”

* * *

Yunho was partially awake when some kind of clattering interrupted his light sleep. He had no idea what time it was, where he was or why his back hurt so much. He wondered if he had fallen asleep on his sofa again with limbs numb and tired.

“Can't be..” he groaned as he sat up. His head felt heavy and there was a nasty prickling sensation taking over his left hand. He looked down at it and his eyes met the carpeted floor. All at once his muzzy questions were answered. A word escaped his mouth in understanding.

“Jaejoong”

He turned left and right looking for his partner but he was nowhere to be seen. It did not take long for distress to fill Yunho's mind. The stalker had broken in, he thought. He had kidnapped Jaejoong. That clattering earlier must have-

“Oh look, the snoring monster is awake” Jaejoong's voice saluted him with a tinge of amusement and filled him with relief. Yunho immediately turned to the door that led to the kitchen and found Jaejoong leaning against its frame. He was wearing the smuggest expression Yunho had ever seen on his face.

“Some bodyguard you are” he snickered. Yunho grunted.

“I do not snore” he denied bluntly.

“I can argue with that”

“I seriously doubt it” Yunho stressed his point. He rubbed his eyes and scratched the back of his head lazily, making a bigger mess of his tousled hair. Jaejoong's gaze didn't leave him for a second, though Yunho barely noticed it. He was still very sluggish.

“Well, how about a shower?” Jaejoong suggested, leaving the important matters for later.

“Sure” Yunho nodded while massaging his shoulder. He could do with that.

“Ok, good. You can go on ahead while I prepare breakfast-”

“What? No” Yunho interjected. He may have been a bit dazed, but the fact he was already too indebted to Jaejoong's hospitality was not as foggy in his mind “There's no need. I'm already imposing on you too much” he explained trying to patch things up “I'll have something down by the station-”

“No you won't” Jaejoong stated. His words sounded final and Yunho knew there was no way to rebuke them.

Jaejoong then disappeared off to somewhere inside his apartment and returned less than a minute later with a towel in hand which he proceeded to throw right at Yunho's face. The latter's gasp of surprise was muffled by the soft fabric.

“Move it” Jaejoong told him.

“Jaejoong-ah, I'm serious. You don't need to-”

“Shut up. We're already late” Jaejoolg scolded before returning to the kitchen.

Yunho groaned and walked over to the bathroom in a slow and stubborn pace, grumbling the whole way. His childish whims were not neglected by Jaejoong who stood by the stove laughing.

“First door on the right!” he hinted loud enough for Yunho to hear.

“Got it”

The issues of taking a shower over at someone else's house were not immune to police inspectors. Certainly not to Jung Yunho and his new found emotional wreckage. The same could be said of his host who had offered the bathroom's usage to his guest. Indeed neither people were prepared for it when the initial intention was good and sincere. However, their lack of measure did not mean the end of the world. There were many solutions at hand. Unfortunately, for the two men involved, they had to account for extra personal feelings which they were definitely not in control of. Hence the awkward situation arose. 

Everything had been running smoothly for Yunho until he took off his pants. Brushing his teeth and shaving had been no problem at all thanks to the disposable razors and toothbrush he had found in a cabinet under the sink. But now that he was wearing nothing but his shorts the real problem presented itself. He needed another pair which meant borrowing some from Jaejoong. So he did.

“Hey, Jaejoong-ah, forgot to ask you before” he walked out of the bathroom and headed for the kitchen. It had never been Yunho's intention to just stroll around almost completely naked inside a house not his own. It was something that had never bothered him before. Men usually didn't have much decency around each other, nor did they have many complexes with their bodies. At least not in the police force. They'd rather compete out in the field, maybe just show off a little in the locker rooms. Yunho didn't really care.

“Do you have a pair of shorts you can lend-”

Yunho's speech was interrupted by a loud crash. The gaze he had been directing at a scar in his forearm was forced upwards to survey the situation before him and the first thing he saw were two broken bowls of rice scattered all over the floor. Jaejoong quickly stooped down to catch the small pieces and clean the wasted rice.

“Let me help” Yunho voiced out, but Jaejoong did not let him take a step further.

“Leave it. You'll cut your feet idiot” Yunho heard him mutter.

“Oh right”

Yunho tried to catch Jaejoong's expression but he was unable to. The latter's crouched position plus his dark bangs hid most of his face which Jaejoong was thankful for. Those bowls of rice had not just _happened_ to fall on the floor. Gravity was not the sole reason for the disaster that had befallen his sacred kitchen. Jaejoong was painfully conscious of that. He knew well what had triggered the accident and stupefied his brain for one flitting second. He just had to wait until the beetroot red dissipated from his cheeks to acknowledge said problem face to face, because it sure as hell was standing right there in his kitchen, with more skin to be seen than Jaejoong could handle. He was in utter disbelief at how a barely half naked man could do that much damage to his system. It was not fair.

After catching most of the bowl's remains and dropping them in the garbage, Jaejoong finally turned towards Yunho determined to help him and go through the whole ordeal without sounding or looking like a complete moron.

“I'll get you those shorts” He said walking by Yunho without as much as a glimpse.

Yunho, dense as he ever was, concurred and followed after him aloof. Jaejoong could see him out the corner of his eye still totally engrossed in the appraisal of his scars, rubbing and scratching a few. Nothing out of ordinary for a policeman, except it was Yunho and his body toned to perfection sent Jaejoong's blood running south.

As if things couldn't get any worse, especially for Jaejoong and his fertile mind, they entered his bedroom. He tried to block all the inappropriate connotations flooding in and walked straight towards the underwear drawer. He was appalled when he noticed Yunho standing right beside him poring over it as well.

“What kind of pervert are you?” he declared perplexed.

Yunho just shrugged his shoulders and gave him a goofy smile.

“What are you talking about? I'm just here to see if any of those fit” he said naturally, stretching the waistband of his shorts in demonstration.

Bad move, bad move, bad move. Jaejoong screamed inside his head. The stupid naive gesture had almost allowed him to see past those damn pelvic lines. Jaejoong felt a rush of incoming maroon threaten his cheeks.

“Sure they fit” he rasped, throat going dry.

“You think? Have you seen the size of your waist?” Yunho replied earnestly.

It took every ounce of Jaejoong's resolve not to yelp when he felt Yunho's hand on his waist. He had to calm down. His heartbeat was not going to fuck everything up. Not now.

“It's tiny” Yunho continued. His voice was low and gruff. One could only blame his carelessness on the fact he was still drowsy and not fully awake. His yawns were proof enough. Nevertheless, Jaejoong's sanity would soon be unable to take any further peeks at such a domestic sight. It was becoming way too much for him to bear, not only physically but emotionally as well. Some things he knew he could never have.

“They will have to do” Jaejoong said decidedly. The sudden epiphany seemed to have put his flaring emotions to rest. He shoved a pair of shorts into Yunho's grip, closed the drawer and walked out of the room, waiting on Yunho to exit after him.

“You still look like a mother” Yunho jested as he passed by. Jaejoong grimaced slightly, trying not to drown in the irony.

“Do you want me to slap your butt as well?” he retorted.

Needless to say Yunho came to his senses after that; and he came under cold water as well, much to his personal shame. Jaejoong's lingering scent in the shower was more than enough encouragement.

* * *

Yunho was positive he was going mad. He had no idea how he bore with himself nor how he could still look people in the eye without putting a rope around his neck. It was baffling. However, he was fortunate he had enough responsibilities to keep his feet on the ground. Concrete, real and soluble problems that prompted him to move forward and forget his dilemmas.

He was reluctant to blame Jaejoong for his personal unrest because he believed nothing was his fault. There was only himself to censure and he did so pliantly. The reasons for condemnation never ceased to pile up or astound him, yet he repeated the same mistakes and fell to the same temptation without any seemingly intelligent explanation. Maybe he really was ill. How could he know? If he was sick he couldn't possibly be sure. Yunho had to speak to someone. But who?

The perfect candidate was soon to appear.

Yunho and Jaejoong were back at racking the police archive files looking for the blond suspect when an assembly of people interrupted their work. Donghae headed the party at its front and behind him followed Hyukjae, Junsu and Heechul. They conglomerated around the two busy inspectors, diverting them with idle chatting. While Hyukjae and Junsu gave Jaejoong a detailed account of their latest soccer match, Donghae and Heechul inquired Yunho about his investigation.

“Hey, how have you been? I heard the case is going well?” Donghae cheered Yunho with a pat on the back.

“A bit of a stall right now” Yunho replied somewhat downcast. Heechul was quick to lift up the mood.

“What the hell are you saying? You know it's only a matter of days till the guy pops up” he said reassuringly. Donghae nodded.

“I guess” Yunho said half-heartily. He was pleased that Heechul did not seem angry at him because of their recent argument.

“He is right. You don't usually do cold cases” Donghae pointed out. They all shared a good laugh.

“Oh, by the way” Donghae said abruptly “I'm glad I found you 'cause I just heard Changmin is coming up”

Yunho's eyes bulged in wonder and he noticed the other three people in the room turning towards him once they heard the sudden change of topic. Hyukjae beamed happily and Junsu was quick to follow. Jaejoong was not as responsive, but he seemed alert.

“Yeah! I heard it from Kyuhyun. They will be stopping by in...” Hyukjae glanced at his wrist watch and concluded “around ten minutes or so”

“Already?” Donghae was puzzled and took a peak at his own watch to confirm.

“Yeah. I received his text not half an hour ago”

“Can't wait! I haven't seen Changmin in ages” Junsu said excitedly “Nor Kyuhyun as a matter of fact-”

“No way. He played soccer with us that time before Christmas” Hyukjae told him.

“What? Really? I don't remember...”

A friendly discussion ensued between the two. Donghae tried to help by giving them his own account of the event but he only contributed to the dispute. Heechul, on the other hand, took the opportunity to approach Yunho and Jaejoong more privately.

“So any new creepy tape today?” He asked casually, voice low. Jaejoong coughed.

“It's not a tape” He corrected sharply. Heechul rolled his eyes.

“No. No new video today. They usually arrive early in the morning. If there had been one we would have seen it” Yunho explained patiently. Heechul listened before shrugging his shoulders.

“Do you have any clues yet?” He inquired subtly, his eyes never leaving the three arguing loudmouths.

Jaejoong grunted in response forcing Yunho to verbalize the answer.

“Nothing. We have no idea who it is nor why he or she is sending those damned things” the words came out of Yunho's mouth tense and stiff.

“Maybe it's just a prank to mess with your head” Heechul said.

Both Yunho and Jaejoong shot him confused looks.

“You don't mean...” Yunho began articulating a few words but gave up halfway. Heechul smirked and focused on the silent inspector.

“What do you think, Jaejoong-sshi?”

Jaejoong appraised him skeptically, one brow raised.

“If you're talking about a sort of diversion to draw our minds off he case” he put his logic together brilliantly “then I'd say it is possible”

“And it's definitely working” Heechul added slyly “Don't you agree, Yunho-yah?”

Yunho was caught off guard. He had lost himself for a moment staring at Jaejoong's lips and his consequent stammer ended up giving Heechul the proof he wanted, but scarcely needed.

“U-w-what, s-sorry. I didn't quite hear that” Yunho mumbled as he tried to regain focus. Heechul laughed.

“Nothing. Forget it”

After a few minutes of silently watching the discussion led by Donghae, Yunho and Heechul decided to break up the guys and head downstairs to meet Changmin and Kyuhyun. They headed to the lifts in easy conversation and good spirits. However, the atmosphere prompted Heechul to succumb to his teasing manner. He had tried to hold it in, but the opportunity was too good to let it go to waste. While the others stepped inside the lift, he managed to lean towards Yunho and whisper by his ear.

“Same shower gel. Kinky” he whispered, sniffling Yunho's collar deliberately.

Yunho had the shame to blush and the tiniest second to grasp his shirt and flee to the back of the lift. Heechul strolled behind him leisurely and took a tight spot next to Donghae. The tantalizing remark left Yunho painfully sensitive to the scrunching of shoulders. Jaejoong's seemed not to touch his, but to pierce it. Luckily, halfway through the descent Jaejoong's cellphone rang in his pocket, breaking Yunho's trance. His partner took it out and answered before Yunho could even spout out a word.

“-I'm busy now. I'll pass by later” Jaejoong said.

Yunho had to block off Hyukjae and Donghae's loud voices to capture whatever he could of Jaejoong's conversation.

“Now? Ok, ok, ok. I'll see what I can do. Ok. I'm going. See ya” Jaejoong shut his cell and put it back in its place.

Yunho inched closer to begin his array of questions.

“Something wrong? Who was it?” he whispered.

“It was Yoochun. He asked me to go down right now” Jaejoong said. Yunho eyed him with an expression of dissent and shook his head slightly.

“He can wait two minutes” he began “I've been dying for Changmin and you to meet”

“Yoochun said it's urgent” Jaejoong insisted.

“What is it” Yunho asked. His question sounded more like an order than mere petty curiosity. Jaejoong frowned.

“It's about the surveillance cameras” he mumbled.

“Sweet. It can wait” Yunho smiled.

Jaejoong sighed. He shifted a little closer to the lift panel and pressed the button to the Records department. Yunho shot him a bewildered look which brought forth Heechul's attention, as well as that of the other people inside.

“Hyung? You're going down?” Junsu asked somewhat bemused.

“Yeah. Yoochun called me, but I'll be right up” Jaejoong told him with a soft smile. He returned to his place beside Yunho and placed his hands behind his back.

Yunho was aghast. Jaejoong couldn't get away now. Not when he was about to introduce him to Changmin. Both his current and ex partners had to meet, otherwise Yunho's efforts to get some help and advice would simply go down the drain. Changmin would never understand. Changmin had to meet Jaejoong. It wouldn't do any other way. The sooner the better. Yunho would be lost without that meeting. He would only continue to play the fool. Moreover, the meeting would benefit the case as well. Changmin's brains and Jaejoong's deduction would without a doubt unlock a few mysteries if put together.

It was precisely when Yunho was about to retort something vicious that the lift stopped and the doors opened. Everyone walked out impassively yet Yunho was reluctant to move.

“Do I have to plead?” he considered aloud.

Jaejoong felt a stab in his heart at those words. He would very much like to see Yunho plead his presence, among other things, but now he could not comply with the request.

“I won't take long. I promise” Jaejoong replied.

“You sure that's a promise you can keep?” Yunho's intense stare met with Jaejoong's, weakening the latter's determination.

“No” Jaejoong answered honestly.

Yunho took a deep breath to expel his irritation and walked out of the lift. There was nothing honorable about persisting over the matter in such a puerile fashion. If Jaejoong wouldn't yield, let him. Yunho had known, somehow suspected, that his problems wouldn't be so easily solved. Fate didn't work that way. The meeting would have to be postponed. He didn't expect Jaejoong to return from Yoochun's call either. It didn't seem likely knowing Jaejoong's resolute stance. Even his eyes gave Yunho the certainty he feared.

“See you later then” he voiced out, back facing his partner.

Jaejoong cast down his head and leaned his back against the lift's wall. He felt dead inside.

“Hey, wait-!”

The lift door's were inches from closing when a hand got between them and pulled them apart. The sudden move gave Jaejoong a start and he immediately looked up. Yunho had stopped the elevator from going down and he was standing there without knowing exactly why, with a disconcerting look plastered all over his face. It might have been the ludicrous, bold feat that made Jaejoong's heart rate shoot up brusquely. He had no idea.

Jaejoong was about to investigate that when a couple of policemen appeared next to Yunho.

“Thank you sir” one of them said.

“I was already heading for the stairs”

“Not at all. No problem” Yunho deadpanned politely. His hand left the lift and he sent Jaejoong a last glance before they were finally separated.

* * *

“Oh, there he is!” Donghae cried happily as Yunho reached the merry group of friends.

Although his heart was still in total disorder he managed to hug Changmin and Kyuhyun and give both a genuine smile.

“You look tired” Changmin noted.

“It's not easy being an old man” Kyuhyun reminded him.

Yunho replied the sarcasm with a fake laugh. His enthusiasm hadn't been much to begin with, fact which Changmin seemed to perceive by Yunho's expression though he didn't mention a word. Yunho was mentally grateful his silence. He liked that about Changmin. They didn't need words to speak. The looks they exchanged tended to be vessel enough for their thoughts.

“Was that Kim Jaejoong back there?” Changmin asked. His narrow gaze was fixed on the lifts, trying to discern a figure that was no longer there. He had barely gotten a look at the silhouette. Yunho accompanied his stare and looked back as well.

“Yeah. He is rather busy today”

“Oh” Changmin assented. He was far from convinced “Maybe another time?”

“Sure” Yunho smiled feebly.

“Either way, my temporary leave is ending. We won't avoid this meeting much longer” Changmin said with arms crossed.

For some reason, the mere idea of him meeting Jaejoong sounded dreadful to Yunho's ears now. Maybe it was not supposed to happen at all. It shouldn't.

“They've set a date?” Yunho brushed his eerie thoughts away and focused on the conversation at hand.

“Yeah, next Tuesday I'll be back. Ten more days” Changmin beamed a happy smile. It was contagious and Yunho felt his lips turning up in a shining grin as well.

“How odd. Why not Monday? It tends to be a brighter start” Yunho wondered. Changmin scoffed.

“Nobody likes Mondays hyung. I'm no exception” he said with a derisive laugh “But I have a last appointment at the hospital Monday so the Chief postponed” he said.

“I see. How's the arm? Shoulder ok?" Yunho reached for Changmin's arm tentatively.

“Fresh and new now. If you punch hard it will sting but not as much as your face afterward” Changmin said in a fake menacing tone. Yunho chuckled.

“I wouldn't dare”

They mingled with the rest of the group and stayed a good half-hour at the lobby exchanging stories and cases. Most were just fun and jokes, other bitter tongues anxious for gossip. Around midday, the sun was high in the sky and a few officers began walking past them to the street outside. Lunch hour. Soon flocks of people would be marching out of the lifts and crowding the staircase. Teenagers would be in and out with deliveries to the upper and lower floors. It was known throughout the force that lunch break was taken sacredly at the department.

Most of the group dispersed and went their separate ways at that time. Hyukjae and Donghae went out to meet Siwon for lunch, Heechul sneaked away to destination unknown and Changmin and Kyuhyun were both going out to visit a few friends from the Academy. Yunho would have gladly taken their invitation to join them if Junsu weren't bound back to his office down at Records.

“You sure you can't come?” Changmin insisted, mostly out of politeness.

“Not today” Yunho told him “But I do need to talk to you” he added. Changmin's eyes widened slightly and he looked at Yunho gravely.

“Is something wrong?”

“No-no, no. Maybe I shouldn't bother you with it” Yunho drew back, not knowing how to phrase his concerns in front of other people. Thankfully, it was Changmin who he was talking with; Changmin who he was silently asking for help. The younger man nodded.

“I still have a rehab session tomorrow morning, why don't you pick me up?”

Yunho looked at him nonchalantly until the information seeped in. He smiled happily when it did.

“You're still at your parents?”

“Yeah”

“I'll stop by and say hi”

* * *

Yunho accompanied Junsu to Records and once they got back it was no surprise that Jaejoong was no longer there. Yoochun was reading some papers attentively, cigarette burning away by his side. When they entered the room he gave both a short nod of acknowledgment before resuming his reading.

“Wrap that up, I'm starving” Junsu grumbled, perching on his chair.

“Just five more minutes, let me finish this” Yoochun replied. Yunho looked around displeased.

“Has Jaejoong gone up?” he asked.

“Yeah. I told him the surveillance cameras are working. I linked them up to a laptop. He left with it”

“Great” Yunho approved poignantly. He had no desire whatsoever to speak with Yoochun even though lots of questions were searing his throat anxious to get out.

“I'm going to visit my mother this afternoon so I had to talk to him as soon as possible. I still need to look these over before going” Yoochun explained briefly, sensing Yunho's bad mood.

Yunho shrugged the statement away, bearing it no importance, and waved his goodbye.

“I also have a lot of work to do. See you guys tomorrow”

Junsu patted his back warmly and Yoochun gave him a nod, cigarette dangling between his teeth.

The spawn of time it took Yunho to reach his office was scarcely felt. His mind was bursting with the case, with emotions, thoughts, suspicions. There was a headache coming. He knew it. Yet, the sight of Kangin roaming both his and Jaejoong's desks raised his spirits to a tolerable degree. The grim expression contorting Jaejoong's placid face never failed to amuse him. Yunho stepped inside with a subtle wry smile.

“Yah! Yunho! I was asking about you” Kangin exclaimed cheerfully. He clasped Yunho in a ferocious hug and laughed loudly by his ear.

“Watch it, you'll turn him deaf” Jaejoong murmured from his seat.

“Where the hell were you?” Kangin roared.

“With Changmin and the boys” Yunho said “He came to visit”

“And no one told me shit?! With friends like these!” Kangin whined loudly. There were dimples in his cheeks.

“He's returning next week. You'll have all the time in the world to tell him your tales then” Yunho said.

“You mean bore him to death” Jaejoong corrected silently. Yunho sent him a peevish look and Jaejoong gestured closed lips. His design was clearly to mock him.

“Next week?! Already? Doesn't feel like a week has passed since he took the shot” Kangin pointed out. Yunho nodded sympathetically.

“I know. It has been almost three weeks now. It'll be a month when he comes back”

There was a short pause after his sentence. Jaejoong was looking down along with Kangin and Yunho. The three pairs of eyes had fallen on the desks, staring blindly at the papers covering the surfaces and piling up in stacks. Yunho was afraid of his distress, fighting against any sullen thoughts. He tried to come up with something to keep the conversation going, but Kangin spared him the trouble. The latter reached a hand towards a single piece of paper and raised it to eye level, scrutinizing it with a narrow stare. Jaejoong and Yunho looked at him sensing something strange.

“Anything eye-catching?” Jaejoong inquired less sarcastically than he meant.

“Well, yeah, as a matter of fact...” Kangin mumbled.

“Is that a photo?” Yunho pondered aloud, edging towards the older man.

“It is... are you after this kid?” he threaded carefully before gasping “Oh! I knew it!” he cried out triumphantly “Now I remember. I know this guy! You're looking for him, right?”

When he turned to Yunho and Jaejoong, the two were looking at him with mouths agape.

“We are” Yunho replied.

“Another prime suspect” Jaejoong supplied.

“Seriously?” Kangin squeaked “Well, aren't you lucky. He works in a bar where I use to hang out some nights”

Jaejoong's witty reply stuck in his throat with the shock.

“Come here, I'll give you the address” Kangin turned around the copy he was holding of the blond suspect's photo and scribbled down the address.


	14. Chapter 14

They drove to the designated bar under the same cloudy sky they had met that morning. Thick grey clouds hovered above their heads threatening rain and not shedding a single drop. It was nothing less than ominous. The smothering grey enveloped the city and submitted its people to foul moods. If not for the narrow openings between clouds displaying a red sunset, pale pink and fading purple by the west, one would think there was nothing else to breath but the sultry and suffocating air.

Yunho rolled down the window to let some cool wind inside. It blew his hair and filled his nostrils with the spicy scent of the street food stalls so homely and inviting. His stomach grumbled with hunger. He pressed a hand against it in hopes of silencing it but it was too late. Jaejoong, who had been driving attentively, looked at his side worriedly. Yunho rolled his eyes and turned away preferring the view outside. Jaejoong's speech was expected.

“Seriously, next time you skip your meals I'm gonna punch you in the face” Jaejoong snapped angrily “I don't think I've ever met someone who just 'forgot' to eat. How does that work? You tell me” he continued, country accent bubbling up at every new word.

Yunho grunted a nod. He appreciated Jaejoong's concern but he always felt like a kid whenever the other man scolded him. He sounded like a mother, or worse, a wife. Was this how married life was like? His train of thought began innocent and childish but when he finally understood the folly he was imagining he quickly tried to forget about it and redeem himself.

“Let's stop here” Jaejoong wheeled the car to the sidewalk and told Yunho to step out “Go get something to eat on the way”

“I'm fine, there's no need-”

“You go there and bring me some fish cakes” Jaejoong said cunningly.

Yunho groaned. He could not refuse him. He slammed the car door shut and walked up to an old lady managing a stall by the end of the street. He asked for two sticks of fish cakes, the spiciest ddeokbokki she had and half a dozen dumplings. When he returned Jaejoong helped him with the food and sped off to Hongdae. According to Kangin's address the place they were headed to was between Hongdae and Itaewon, opposite to where Jaejoong lived.

With food warming not only their stomachs but humors as well, it was no wonder the trip ended sooner than expected. For a short period laughter and spicy breaths seemed to be the only distraction in the world, but as they got nearer Yunho discovered that the same could not be said of the people that roamed the streets of the two districts. There was plenty of entertainment to chose from. The weaker spirits were easily lured in and there was not a sinner who wouldn't get lost in the pleasures if he could afford them.

“I think that's it” Jaejoong said. He pointed towards the window behind Yunho, specifically to a street perpendicular to theirs.

“Go around, see if you can park it somewhere” Yunho replied.

Jaejoong drove a few laps around the block, one for coverage and another two for scouting. They were looking for a free space as well as any suspicious blond heads. Unfortunately, the night was pressing in and it was not lack of lightening that hindered their search, but rather the unusual amount of blonds that began swarming the place. It became too futile to keep burning gas and so Jaejoong parked. He managed to put the car in a slim interval between two raggedy things too battered up to ever pick up again. Yunho brought out what was left of their late lunch and dumped it on the nearest bin. He then met Jaejoong at the intersection and followed his lead.

“This way” Jaejoong murmured.

Yunho laughed sadly to himself once he took a good long look at the place. Gay clubs rowed next to each other flanking both sides of the road. Garish lights flickered warming up to a long night of vivid flashing, while other signs were more discrete but there nonetheless. A shiver ran down his spine grimly and he scoffed knowing he was no saint. He fought not to look at Jaejoong, refusing to take part in another act of shame that would only prove him guilty. The image of his mother came to mind and he imagined her face of utter shock and disgust piercing him to the bone.

A couple of men passed by in cocktail dresses and high heels, walking more elegantly than most girls Yunho had met in his time. Tall and trendy foreigners prowled the area as well, already in and out of bars with drinks in hand. It was barely 8PM. Jaejoong moved in front of him nimble as a cat and indifferent to everything around him. He only stopped in front of their destination and that was just a common club like any other. Still empty by the looks of it, with only a group of girls at the waiting line. The collaborators and workers were just opening up the place.

Yunho's mind fell back on his duty when Jaejoong showed the nightclub guard his badge. He let the chubby man take a look at his credentials and walked inside after his partner.

“We could have asked him about the guy” Yunho said with furrowed brows.

“I don't think he would have told us anything. These watchdogs tend to have a tight lip”

“Then telling him we're policemen might not have been the brightest of ideas” Yunho reprimanded. Jaejoong was stunned. He clicked his tongue and cursed.

“Shit. I forgot about that”

“Don't worry” Yunho soothed his voice “We wouldn't have entered any other way. Besides it's better if there aren't any innocent bystanders in case things turn out for the worst” Jaejoong nodded and smiled weakly. He looked frustrated yet Yunho knew he had lifted some burden off his shoulders. It was indeed safer that they had come in before the clubbers. Their entry as policemen might have urged warnings among the workers, but the fact they had refrained from mentioning their suspect would ward those off to an extent.

They walked down the steep entrance stairs and entered the club's main room. The barman was already at the counter cleaning the surface with a cloth and two girls sweeping the far end of the dance floor.

“I'll go over to the barman” Yunho said. Jaejoong sent him a queer look.

“You're leaving me the girls?” He asked with a playful smile.

“I don't want to break any hearts today” Yunho answered as charmingly. Jaejoong chuckled and scooted away to the dance floor.

“Hey there” a voice called after him. Yunho turned around and saw the barman leaning over the counter, hand under his chin. He had dark hair combed to the side, dark eyes and a dazzling smile. Yunho began to understand why those girls were so eagerly waiting outside. He approached the man and was barely ten feet away when his perfume hit him like a storm. Yunho had the grace not to frown.

“Never seen you here before” the man added “How did they let you in? We don't open until night starts”

Yunho smiled complacently. He sat in a high stool by the counter and threw back the end of his coat. He could sense the other man's eyes examining him head to foot and he didn't like it. For a second he wondered if Jaejoong had ever felt the same in his presence, but it was better not to delve into that.

“Good evening, I'm from the Seoul Police Department”

If the barman had been nurturing any further flirtation or even a possible boner it was definitely gone now. The hand fell from his chin and he stood up, straight as an arrow. Yunho showed him his badge never losing his smile.

“I wonder if you can help me with something” he said. The barman was speechless. He watched Yunho with a stern expression, the previous inviting stare all but gone.

Yunho rummaged the inside pocket of his coat and took out the suspect's photo.

“I'm looking for this young man” he stated. A long slender finger pointing at the face printed on the paper “Can you give me a name?”

“J-Jiyong. We call him GD”

Yunho took out a pen and wrote the name down on the back of the photo next to where Kangin had scribbled the club's address “I've been told he works here”

The barman stood silently staring at the photo. Sweat was forming above his brow and he loosened the knot of his tie. Yunho read the signs.

“N-no. Not anymore” the barman told him “He quit weeks ago” Yunho could feel the slight wavering in his voice.

“How many weeks ago?” he asked.

“Uh, I-I don't know. Two, three at most. I don't remember anymore”

Yunho shook his head. The man was lying.

“Have you heard from him then? Do you know where he works now?”

“No idea”

“What about his house? Where does he live?”

“He lived with a friend when he worked here. Now I don't know”

“You know that friend?”

“No”

“I see” Yunho studied the other man's face calmly.

“You nervous?”

“Me? No. Not at all, this is just strange, that's all-” The man stopped speaking when a figure appeared beside Yunho. Jaejoong took a high seat next to him and his huge eyes fell on the barman with disapproval.

“Nothing on my end” he told Yunho “Please continue”

Yunho complied though not before noticing a tinge of lipstick on Jaejoong's cheek. It disgruntled him entirely and it was hard to keep the inquiry with that in mind. He continued pressuring the poor barman and, through the corner of his eye, he saw Jaejoong looking at his reflection on the shiny counter and then wipe off the lipstick stain with his sleeve.

“Am I dismissed now?” the barman asked both inspectors anxiously once Yunho was through with his questions.

“Let us have a look around the back plus your name and contacts. Then we'll leave you alone” Jaejoong told him in good sport. He got off his stool at the same time as Yunho and both walked towards a door behind the counter. The barman was startled and he sprang up to them in a fuss.

“Hey, it's busy back there now. Why don't you come back tomorrow morning or something?” He tried to block the way but failed. Yunho pushed him aside gently at first, then roughly when he tried to bar them passage a second time.

“Listen” Yunho held his arm viciously “If you keep it up, it will only end badly for you. Just cooperate and stay put” The threat didn't seem to compute. Yunho read it in the man's eyes. He sighed loudly and turned to Jaejoong.

“'Cuffs”

Jaejoong looked at him a little puzzled before pulling out the handcuffs. He had a pair stuffed in his back pocket along with the key. The two policemen had come prepared this time. Yunho cuffed the barman to one of those high stools attached to the floor and left him there mumbling to himself.

“We'll be right back” Jaejoong told the man.

Yunho opened the door and entered a narrow corridor. Jaejoong was right behind him. There were three doors to the right and one at the end of the hall that most probably led to a backstreet.

“Let's check these rooms first” He whispered while taking out his gun. Jaejoong mimicked.

They opened the first door to the right quietly, guns hidden from sight. There were three people inside what appeared to be a small kitchen. A man was near the stove cooking some stew and other two sat at a table watching a soccer match on TV. Neither corresponded to their suspect. Yunho and Jaejoong bowed their heads in greeting and left.

“That was fun” Jaejoong deadpanned sarcastically. His comment actually made Yunho smile.

“Shut up now” he told him as they approached the second room. He gestured that their guns stay hidden and opened the door. Shrieks deafened their ears instantly as five girls shouted in unison at the intrusion. Jaejoong pulled Yunho back fiercely and closed the door before a red high heel landed on his face.

“These bastards!”

“I told you to lock the door!”

“You know how they are! Always peeking”

“Fucking perverts!”

They heard the dancers shout from inside.

“L-l-let's proceed” Yunho said to Jaejoong.

“Oh, and here I thought you wanted to meet the girls” Jaejoong teased.

Yunho would have taken the joke lightly but he still hadn't forgotten the previous lipstick smudge and he had a gun on his hand. That discussion could wait.

They headed for the last room and found it empty in spite of all hopes.

“You think the barman was actually telling the truth?” Yunho wondered as they searched inside. The room was much the same as the previous one where the girls were at. It had a few lockers, an old sofa, a small table and two chairs. The rest were personal belongings such as bags, clothes and shoes. “This must be where the men change. It smells like him” Yunho noted. He regretted adding the last bit when Jaejoong shot him a glare. He felt defensive in a heartbeat. “What? He reeked of perfume” Yunho cried. Jaejoong didn't reply. It was always worse when he gave him the cold shoulder. Yunho was used to it, but he didn't quite understand why Jaejoong had these sudden bouts of neglect sometimes. He was quite oblivious to jealousy. The thought Jaejoong could ever love him back had never crossed his mind and the possibility was less than meager. Yunho had gotten much too used to his own despair. The only solution he bore was to fix himself. He didn't know how, but he was working on it.

“Hey look at this” Yunho called him “There's a pair of boots here and some sneakers. The barman isn't the only one working tonight”

Jaejoong scooted closer to appraise the finding.

“Let's check the back then”

They left the room cautiously, looking left and right, guns in hand again. They approached the back exit slowly and Jaejoong touched the handle, to see if it was open. He gave Yunho a curt nod in confirmation. They counted the seconds so that at three Jaejoong opened the door and Yunho rushed outside under the cover of his aim.

The backstreet was empty. There was only the opposite concrete wall facing them and half a dozen trash bins laid across the alley. Yunho had his gun pointed towards the left side, Jaejoong at his back got the right.

“Shit”

“The fat one must have snitched” Jaejoong scowled. Yunho lowered his gun.

“But the other pair of shoes...” he uttered defeated. He was having trouble coming to terms with another dead end. Escaping a second time was very good luck. He wished he had the same.

“You think he changed his fucking shoes once they told him? He must have run off without a thought” Jaejoong croaked angrily. He was pissed off as hell. Yunho's naivety nearly drove him insane. “Maybe they are someone else's. I don't know. It's not like we have his shoe size to say for sure”

“The barman seemed suspicious enough” Yunho said tentatively. He was trying not to get riled up and let his anger cloud him. He already had plenty on his mind to trouble him, including the very expanse of soil they had been walking on for the past half hour. Hence he ignored Jaejoong's remarks. He did not foresee, however, that his better judgment would infuriate Jaejoong further and for the most startling reasons.

“Oh yeah, him. You sure gave him the attention he begged for” Jaejoong spat. The sentence stuck a nerve with Yunho. His forehead wrinkled with irritation.

“What do you mean?” he gave a sharp turn.

“You know exactly what I mean” Jaejoong's eyes locked with his “Or don't you know the types that crawl these places? Are you playing innocent now? Do you want some more perfume?” There was no ice in Jaejoong's voice, nor tease, nor joke, not even a little spite. If Yunho could bet on anything, he would say Jaejoong sounded hurt. However, the comment wounded him before it made him considerate.

“Did you get those girl's numbers too with that lip service?”

Jaejoong's fist met Yunho's chin just as he was willing his smirk away. He groaned painfully and cussed.

“The fuck was that for!”

“I knew I would end up punching you in the face today” Jaejoong muttered with clenched teeth.

Yunho lunged at him irrationally. He grasped Jaejoong's collar and dragged him along forcibly, pinning him against the wall. It was hard to remember a moment when they had ever been more physically close but Yunho decided to regret that fact later. Jaejoong's hot panicked breaths near his face were more stimulating and Yunho's towering stance over him seemed pleasing enough. He even forgot his sore chin with the commotion. The only thing he heard was his deafening heartbeat and the only thing he felt, apart from half Jaejoong's body pressed against him, was his panting. A sense of yielding prevailed briefly. Something was prone to overflow and let all hell break loose when Yunho's mouth opened and his logic kicked back in.

“The hell is wrong with you?!” the question died out with a nervous breath “First that stupid stunt on the lift, then all that preaching on the ride here, now this. You're driving me nuts” Yunho noticed Jaejoong staring at his mouth “Am I bleedin'?” He wiped it with the back of his hand but there was no blood on his lips.

“No you're not bleeding, you're being sassy. You must feel right at home here” Jaejoong retorted, stepping away from his constricted spot against the wall. Yunho glanced at him apprehensively. Jaejoong was surely out to provoke him.

“What did you say?” Yunho heard himself ask. He felt stupid as he heard his own words ring in the alley “What are you even mad about...” it was hard to constrain himself not to let his previous calm resolution fall to shambles. The line separating his patience and fury had been nearly crossed, yet, he couldn't let Jaejoong just trample him all over him like this. It was more than he could take.

“Nevermind” Jaejoong exhaled. He shook his head mumbling and turned away. The attitude surprised Yunho. Speak of bipolar.

“So now you're done?” Yunho snickered. He had to laugh otherwise he would go insane. He gave a long stride and grabbed Jaejoong's wrist to get his attention.

“What!” Jaejoong pulled away brusquely and pushed him back with a strong shove. He was flustered and nervous. Yunho barely got his pulse yet he got to acknowledge his own and it was shooting through the roof.

“If you stop being an asshole maybe we can get on with our job-” Yunho was trying to put an end to their discussion when a figure clad in white appeared in the distance just behind Jaejoong. Yunho's eyes were glued to the man and as he got closer he recognized his appearance. Fair hair, small face. He was smoking a cigarette, almost a butt by the time he got proximate enough and he was typing something on his phone. Jaejoong had his eyes on Yunho but the latter's intense stare prompted him to look behind and notice the figure as well. Both were too agitated from their argument to manage the slightest upturn of lips, but the sight was no less satisfying.

Yunho brought out his gun again while Jaejoong approached the man.

“Excuse me? I apologize for disturbing your most important text, but I'm required to arrest you”

“Jaejoong-yah, please stop humoring me” Yunho complained. His gun was aimed right at the suspect's head. Jiyong lifted his head and at the sight of the barrel his hands went up and his cell phone fell to the floor with a flat dead sound. Jaejoong kicked it away in case the blond might want to step on it.

“We don't want to lose anything on your precious memory card” he said sweetly. Jiyong frowned.

“Took you a while” he uttered.

Yunho stepped forward to cuff him.

“Your pal didn't warn you proper, did he?” Jaejoong quipped. Jiyong rolled his eyes and hissed when Yunho yanked his arms roughly behind his back.

“Watch it!”

“You do like to walk leisurely around here. Kind of stupid not to see us two coming. What were you doing?” Jaejoong asked as he picked up the cell phone from the floor.

“Calling the police actually” Jiyong jested. Yunho and Jaejoong shared a laugh. It echoed on the narrow street and soon dissipated.

“And why would you do that?” Yunho wondered. Jiyong replied briefly.

“Because I need protection”

* * *

Jiyong's willingness to embrace the comfort of the police station was nothing unreal. Yunho took him back after instructing an obstinate Jaejoong to stay at the club and help the backup team wrap up the affair. Yunho enjoyed the silence of the ride. Jiyong was a tomb the whole way. It allowed Yunho to organize his thoughts and prepare himself for the hours of questioning ahead. Once they arrived Jiyong was immediately ushered to an interrogation room, handcuffs still binding his wrists. Yunho sent a secretary to fetch him a batch of documents from his office and he exchanged a few words with the assistant behind the two-way mirror.

“Record everything. Make me a copy at the end” he told him.

“Yes, sir”

“Yunho-sshi, here are the documents you asked for” the secretary announced politely.

“Thank you. Tell me when Jaejoong gets here” he said before entering the room. Inside Jiyong had taken a relaxed position in his seat and was currently frowning at the white plastic apron he still wore. When Yunho sat in front of him he quickly shared his displeasure.

“Hey man, you could have let me take this off. I look ridiculous” he sighed.

“It humbles you. I like it” Yunho smiled.

“It would” he muttered.

“So, first things first, full name” Yunho began.

“Kwon Jiyong. G-Dragon, GD for some, as you already know. Did you find that out?”

“Yes, I did. Your friend Choi Seunghyun had one funny name too” Yunho said bitterly, memories of their last encounter still fresh in his mind.

“Oh he's a piece of work that one” Jiyong smiled.

“He is” Yunho deadpanned “Like Hyunjoong? What about Seungri? Was he a piece of work?” Yunho's words washed Jiyong's smile away in a heartbeat. His face took a grim turn and his lips folded into a straight line.

“I can tell you about Seungri if you don't want to talk” Yunho said in a light tone. He opened a thin folder and took out a couple of pictures, he turned them around and slid them over to Jiyong. His eyes widened slightly but his expressionless mouth did not even curl to meet a scowl. “You knew already?” Yunho voiced his supposition with certainty. Jiyong's eyes didn't leave the pictures.

“I know what Hyunjoong did to him. I just...” he took a deep breath before continuing “... never saw the end of it” he said. Yunho studied his face before speaking.

“It's still unsure whether this really is the end for Lee Seungri” Yunho said glimpsing at the burnt figure in the pictures “I hear he is recovering, but I don't think he will help us any time soon” he paused. Jiyong turned up to look at him “If you know it was Hyunjoong who did this to him, you also know why he did it. That plus the fact you want police protection leads me to presume you are the next in line for a burn” Yunho concluded.

Jiyong's silence was concurring.

“But knowing Hyunjoong, you must see that not even prison will save you” the words shadowed Jiyong's eyes. Whatever sparkle he had there vanished along with his vain hopes. His lips were tightened in a fine line. Brows furrowed. Yunho had to crush him before he lifted him. Only then would he have him on his side. He had to build a solid argument. The security he offered had to be irresistible.

“You're a hypocrite if you think the prison walls will assure your safety. Maybe not hypocrite, just stupid” There was a flash of anger on Jiyong's eyes. Yunho smirked mentally.“But you're not stupid. Otherwise you wouldn't have survived this long. Seungri was stupid. Seungri had the girl. A liability. But not you. You know there's only two ways to escape Hyunjoong's clutches”

Jiyong was quiet as a mouse. He didn't seem to breathe.

“Money or death” Yunho's voice was light as a feather but inside the interrogation room it seemed to thunder. Jiyong grimaced. “And by the looks of it, it will be your death. You will go to jail, spend a week in what appears to be a paradise of reassurance and then you get stabbed in the yard”

Jiyong felt a shudder go down his spine.

“It feels idiotic to mention this, because I'm sure you know. A clever fellow like you” Yunho didn't smile this time. He was serious “There's only one thing we can do for you and that is to catch Hyunjoong before he pulls the strings to end you”

“If he hasn't already” Jiyong mumbled. Yunho nodded.

“To catch him we need all the information you can give us and that starts by a nice, detailed account of what happened at that pool party that exploded all over the news a month ago”

“You must be crazy man. What about pardon? Parole? We could start with a lawyer!” Jiyong said rashly, his composure running short.

“Of course you'll have a lawyer. We're taking care of it, but time urges and I need something to work on. I'll see what I can do about a parole later on” Yunho explained gravely. Jiyong looked at him with a bit of amusement.

“So I'll just have to trust you on that, is that it?”

Yunho was silent for a few seconds.

“It's either that or your corpse in the yard”

Jiyong said no more. The only words that came out of his mouth afterward were his account of the happenings at the pool party slaughter. He, TOP and Seungri and another friend, Taeyang, had joined with what some connections had told them was a notorious dealer who could help them rise in the business. His name was Hyunjoong and he was working with an associate as of late. He was influential and had been filling his pockets with high-class clientele, mostly young heirs of big corporations. Jiyong's little group agreed to a first escort job with Hyunjoong. Simple and easy. They had to accompany him and his associate to a rich kid's party where he would go sell his goods and then disappear before the night was done. Unfortunately, the rich kid had some dangerous friends and the alcohol and drugs didn't help the stream of events. Two or three of the kid's friends managed to escape during the bloodshed just before Jiyong had arrived. The latter had seen them running up the street, pale and barefoot, with fear and shock repressing any kind of scream. He did not hear a single cry for help.

“When I got there, I understood why. They entered the car, blood spattered on their clothes. Hyunjoong told me to sped off and I did. Only noticed Taeyang wasn't there when I hit the sack” Jiyong was silent for a while and Yunho could see a big sadness building up and taking over his frame.

“He was my oldest friend”

“My condolences” Yunho said.

“I watched the news to see if they talked about him. I couldn't believe it for a while”

“Yes, it took a long time to identify all the bodies” Yunho admitted.

“Well, anyway” Jiyong inhaled deeply “After that, the three of us knew we were fucked. Hyunjoong wasn't going to forgive us for what happened, even if it wasn't our fault. N-not entirely” he stammered.

“They killed people” Yunho declared. His voice was cutting ice at that moment.

“Y-yes. It was horrible. We fucked up real bad. The only thing that worried us then was the police, but once Hyunjoong did that Seungri I knew it was better to turn myself in. I talked with Seunghyun hyung about it but he said no. He was trying to convince Hyunjoong to change his mind, telling him we would not fuck up next time. I didn't believe it. I still don't. I bet he is calling him up right now, licking his boots. But he is marked for death. Just like me” he paused for a moment to recollect himself. His hands had began to tremble. He played with his handcuffs miserably.

“After hyung told me what had happened with Seungri I panicked. I went to his house to pick up my shit. I didn't want anything to do with this anymore. Not with Hyunjoong, not with hyung, not with the police. I was going to runaway. But I needed to clear any traces of my involvement”

“You were too late” Yunho reminded him. Jiyong's sad smile was not far from another grimace.

“Yeah. That's when I ran into you. I was lucky hyung appeared otherwise you would have gotten to me sooner”

“And for the better”

“No way. I wanted to runaway. I still do” Jiyong exclaimed “There's no fucking way in hell I want to stay in the same country as Hyunjoong. You saw what he did to Yeo Jin? Killed her right there in Seungri's apartment just so she wouldn't go off and tell Seungri he was coming for him. Then he put her in the trunk of his car and made both of them ashes” his voice was a shrill by the end. He didn't say anything after that. He stayed silent for a long while.

Yunho wrote a few things down. Re-read a few documents and leaned back on his chair looking at Jiyong. More than an hour had passed since he had entered the interrogation room. He wondered if Jaejoong was already on the other side of the tinted mirror watching the two of them.

“Well, we'll definitely have another talk when your lawyer is present. If you consent we'll take your testimony and ponder on some kind of parole. You didn't actually kill anyone, but you took part in it and helped them escape” Yunho said in condemnation. “I just have three final questions for you. One of them I doubt you will know the answer to and another I'm sure you'll prefer to answer with your lawyer here” Jiyong seemed uneasy at that.

“Do you know Hyunjoong's whereabouts?” Yunho asked him. It was the doom question and he was so without hope regarding it that he didn't even care if the blond lied.

“No and I don't give a shit if he is living in a palace or a sewer. I just want distance from him” Jiyong said. The despair in his voice was too sincere to mask anything else.

“What about TOP? Your hyung? You know where he is now?”

“That's the lawyer question, right?” Jiyong sneered.

“Indeed it is”

“I don't know where he is now” Jiyong answered wittily “He may well be miles from here”

Yunho smirked “I will ask you again when your lawyer is here”

“I'm all for the law” Jiyong mocked. He leaned back in his chair waiting the third question “This is like a quiz show”

“But it's not very fun” Yunho replied nonchalantly “Final question”

Jiyong looked at him.

“Who's Hyunjoong's accomplice?” The words rolled out of his mouth soft as silk. Catching Hyunjoong would be a feat but getting the nameless faceless man would be the best prize of all. The man who shot Changmin, the one who eluded them all. Yunho couldn't wait. It was a secret thrill he harbored alone.

He notice Jiyong tensing up for a split second. The blond man turned slowly to the two-way mirror and back again at him.

“I don't know his real name” he said gravely.

“What do you call him then?”

“Hero”

* * *

Yunho left the interrogation room with a frown on his face. His cases finally had a substantial link to them, yet the mystery of Hyunjoong's accomplice plagued his mind. It was astonishing how he had never talked properly with Changmin about the guy. The one who had put the bullet in his shoulder had been all but a fleeting fancy in their conversations. Somehow the blame had ended up spiraling towards Hyunjoong alone and in him it had resided ever since.

Yunho reached his office pensive. He was mulling over the subject when Jaejoong rushed in, voice bursting all over the place and shooting out complaints by the minute. It took a while for him to calm down and pry into the interrogation business.

“How was it?” he queried tiredly. It was almost midnight.

“Good. He will do us good” Yunho said shortly. Jaejoong nodded his head.

“Tell me the details tomorrow. I'm way too tired now. Just look at the time”

“The interrogation was recorded, why don't you watch it?” Yunho suggested. He put aside some papers and passed Jaejoong a copy of the recording.

“Thank you, I will”

Yunho smiled feebly. His head was pounding and he felt it too heavy above his shoulders. His neck would snap if he didn't get some rest soon.

“Tell me what you thought of it afterwards” he said to Jaejoong as he put on his coat “And try not to be a critic for God's sake”

“You're leaving?”

“Yeah. I still want to pore over the case when I get home and reread some papers. I have to wake up early. I told Changmin I'd pick him up for his rehab. Don't worry if I show up late”

“I won't” Jaejoong pouted “I have to go home to surveillance cameras and I don't see anyone worrying about me”

“You're the one who said he didn't need anyone's help” Yunho smirked “And after all the fuss you made because of those damn cameras I doubt you'll want any more interference from me”

Yunho straightened up the collar of his coat and stole a look at Jaejoong. The pout was still there and as tempting as ever. He looked away and started for the exit.

“Oh, there's another thing. Last before I go” Yunho suddenly said, wheeling back to Jaejoong “I've been thinking about it ever since I got out of that stuffy room. It's been bothering me a great deal”

Jaejoong's impatient and exhausted features eased at his concern. He reached out a hand and plopped it on the desk, turning his whole body towards Yunho. The latter wobbled an hesitant hand towards Jaejoong's, feeling it plain embarrassing yet reckoning he had already been too harsh to his partner early that day. He feared some apology was in order. Hopefully the tiny gesture would suffice since Yunho was more a man of actions rather than words. His manner would have to do even if there were no pretty phrases or explicit gestures to excuse whatever it was they had fought about. It was all muddy. A muddy intricate limbo.

“It's about the accomplice that escaped” Yunho said.

Jaejoong's eyes fixed on him and he remained silent. There was something quite broken in that stare. Yunho felt a painful wringing in his heart.

“Jiyong said they called him 'Hero'. Have you ever heard anything about him?”

“Not a thing” Jaejoong replied after a moment's deliberation.

“Me neither” Yunho cast down his eyes in dismay. “We're catching mouses just to find the cats” he sighed. When Jaejoong didn't respond with a witty reply Yunho took it as his cue. “I'm off then. You need a ride?”

“No I'm fine. I'm going out for a drink” he said somewhat sadly. Yunho fought a grimace and decided not to pay him any mind. He was done with discussions for the day.

“Just be sure to show up in one piece tomorrow”

He pulled back his hand and left the office.

* * *

Yoochun's cell phone rang loudly beside him. He lifted his head from his comfy pillow and squinted his eyes to look at the bright screen and read the caller's ID. He answered it.

“It's past four in the morning, I fell asleep on the couch, you better make it quick” he rasped. A sobbing voice put an end to his ranting.

“I don't know how long I can keep doing this...” came the wailing. Yoochun propped himself up on an elbow and changed the phone to his other ear.

“Hyung, what's wrong, where are you?”

“Where do you think I am at this hour...” the reply reeked with sarcasm. Yoochun shrugged it off.

“How much does he know?”

“Nothing...” Jaejoong breathed softly “nothing at all. He's a blithering idiot”

Yoochun was too numb with sleep to comfort him with empty words. Only the truth managed to come out.

“It's your duty hyung”

Yoochun heard Jaejoong chuckle on the other side of the line.

“Isn't it always?” he said in mock. Yoochun rubbed his eyes.

“Stay there. I'll be out in five” he clipped the cellphone shut, slid his feet into the first pair of slippers he found and left his house, wallet and keys in hand.


	15. Chapter 15

They were walking side by side towards the car and Yunho already felt completely out of place. He had no idea how he would cope with Changmin once the young man was back to the force. The years they had spent together as partners were like some old dream Yunho had forgotten about. When he sat behind the steering wheel and Changmin in the seat beside him a sense of dejá vú overcame him and he eased a bit. It had not been that long ago since the last time Changmin had slumped on the passenger seat with a frown on his face and mismatched eyes burning with passion, eager for haste and bullets. Yunho remembered that sight quite clearly and the failure that followed just as well. How queer it was that what had happened less than a month ago seemed to have happened years ago. Yunho stole a glance at Changmin from the corner of his eye and sighed. It wouldn't do. Everything had changed. It was still Jaejoong he expected to see there smoking his cigarette and prattling on and on about stupid trivialities.

Changmin's lively mood was quick to pull Yunho away from his brooding. It prompted his usual warm disposition, making the ride to the hospital as enjoyable as any ride with Changmin could ever get. Yunho was thankful for it but he knew Changmin was holding back. He was being considerate and that much Yunho could sense. After their short talk the other day it seemed certain that Changmin would soon start pouring out his questions and suspicions. Yunho had practically promised him the answers though he had none himself. Yunho too had nothing but questions. The jagged fate of their light atmosphere was thus unavoidable.

They parked by the hospital and sat silently inside the car. Neither seemed eager to speak first. Yunho dreaded it the most out of the two in spite of being the one who had sought out Changmin's friendly shoulder. However, the younger man's impatience could sometimes be better than a fault.

“Hyung, whatever it is that's been troubling you, please” he turned to look at him with an earnest face “Just spill it out, don't get all formal and awkward with me”

Yunho let out a chuckle. Given the nature of his troubles 'awkward' was the least he expected to achieve with the conversation “It's not that I don't want to share it-”

“You better. You don't look too well and I'm the one who took the bullet. Have our roles been swapped?” Changmin snapped. Yunho forgave him the interruption since the rebuke came from the heart and he knew Changmin didn't mean to be quarrelsome.

“No, but you're healing. I don't think I ever will” Yunho said sadly. Changmin frowned.

“How poetic hyung. Why don't you sing me a sonnet?” he grunted “What is this about really? Don't tell me it's because of some girl?” Changmin's eyes widened slightly at Yunho's lack of response and then he rolled them and sighed “Well, you were always fond of a little bit of drama”

“I wish it were a drama with a plot ready to be solved” Yunho agreed “But it's not. It's real” and as he said it he knew it to be true. Changmin's arch glance subdued at once.

“Seriously? I thought there was no one, I mean...” Changmin gulped down, confusion smearing his gaze “I thought that thing with Go Ara was nothing, I thought-”

“You were right” Yunho told him “It was nothing but friendship. Go Ara is a nice girl. But that's all she is”

Changmin's mouth remained open as he fished for words to speak.

“Then it's not a girl? There's no one, right?” Changmin asked but all he got in return was silence. Yunho could not bring himself to say anything further. He had admitted everything intimately, but where was he going to find the strength to speak it aloud? How was he to explain what was widely considered a sin? He stared at the steering wheel morosely.

“You're not saying anything. You don't mean there is someone-”

“I don't know” Yunho declared.

“Hyung, I don't see how being vague and philosophical will help me or you postulate anything useful” Changmin remarked.

Yunho was already regretting having ever thought about engaging the subject when his lips moved on their own “It's someone from work” he stated “It can't be” he beckoned immediately afterward.

Changmin fell back on his seat and looked at the street ahead. There was an interval of silence during which his eyes swelled with surprise and then shut partly to a squint.

“Well, that sucks”

“That's an understatement” Yunho assured him.

“Is she from our Department? Do I know her?”

“Yes and no” Yunho answered. A smile crept to his face. Changmin was half-wrong and half-right.

“You know that I always win at charades. You really wanna go at it like this?”

“You always boast about winning all the games” Yunho whined “You have a claim on them or something?”

“As much a claim as you have on your secret affair hyung”

Yunho turned to his friend and they exchanged an amused look before the truth slipped again out of Yunho's control.

“It's not an affair. It's nothing. It can't be anything” he confessed despairingly.

“What do you mean? You haven't told her yet? Hyung don't be stupid. Doing nothing comes with its share of regrets as well. You know it better than anyone”

Yunho consented with a nod and smiled weakly. If only it were that easy, if Jaejoong was not a man, if he wasn't his partner, if only he had never met him, if Jaejoong had stayed in Records, if Changmin hadn't been shot, if Yunho had done his job properly, if the raid had never happened, if if if, so many ifs. The dots all connected so well and still the only one that mattered was leagues away, perhaps not even there.

“You sure turned out all wise and mighty. I see it's not only your arm that improved with rehab, your brain-”

“I'm not so sure you want to finish that sentence hyung” Changmin cut abruptly, fingers strumming above his knee. Yunho laughed aloud.

“I was kidding, I was kidding. I know you're right. It's just that... well, it's complicated”

“You don't think it's totally one-sided?”

Changmin's hypothesis sent an electrifying shock through Yunho's body. He could barely think of having Jaejoong running to his arms; to have him completely. Such dreams were meant to stay locked and hidden away in the utmost corners of his mind. His denial was vehement.

“No! No! I mean... it certainly is. I don't know why I'm even worrying like this” Yunho babbled shaking his head. He stopped for a moment to consider the amount of time he had wasted thinking about his feelings instead of acting on them. It was a hell of a long time “I thought it would go away, but it's been almost a month and still...” Yunho looked down at his hands helpless “It isn't gone. I'm still like this. I feel miserable”

“A month?” Changmin's voice was chilly cold. Yunho turned abruptly to him, feeling all the color drain from his face.

“About a month” he concurred.

Yunho could see by the glint in Changmin's eyes that his brain was making the math. It wasn't that hard, especially for someone as sharp as he was. Nevertheless, Yunho braced himself for a torrent of accusations and disgusted looks; a whole ordeal of bashing and harsh words followed by some kind of enlightening preaching Yunho hoped would set his wits right. But none of it came. Changmin only regarded him with a strange calmness before speaking.

“I don't think I can help you anymore than you could help me with my arm hyung” he professed “I can listen but any advice is beyond me. I trust you will do the right thing”

“What is the right thing?”

“I don't know hyung”

“Do you judge me?”

“No. Only your stupidity because it amuses me”

“Thank you Changmin”

“You can thank me next week when I come back and solve your cases”

“You wish” Yunho punched him lightly in the left arm “Oh by the way, I don't think I ever got around to ask you this but do you remember the face of the guy who shot you?” the question had naturally come to mind as the cases were suddenly brought up.

“Sure I do” Changmin gave him a determined nod “How could I forget it?”

The answer reassured Yunho and filled another part of the void left by the long time unnamed man, Hero.

“How did he look? You think we'll ever catch him?”

“Definitely. He has one of those faces... you can recognize a mile away”

Shortly after Changmin left for the hospital Yunho received a call from the station informing him of new developments on Jiyong's case, mostly concerning his lawyer and other related bureaucratic proceedings. After dispatching a few directives over the phone Yunho inquired after Jaejoong.

“He has not yet come in” the operative told him.

“Have you checked?” Yunho insisted.

“Wait a minute sir”

Yunho was put on hold for a couple of minutes. He lit a cigarette anxiously and looked out the car window towards the hospital. An ambulance was leaving the ER entrance and a man clad in dark clothes was entering the building. His silhouette seemed familiar but after so many years in and out of the place it wasn't surprising that it did. That or Yunho was becoming paranoid. The operative came back with a negative.

“Sir, I've checked, officer Kim Jaejoong hasn't arrived yet. You want me to call his personal number?”

“Yes, please. Did you check Records? Sometimes he goes back to his old department” Yunho suggested.

“I will do so, sir”

Yunho was about to reply when an incoming call stopped him.

“Once you get a word from him call me back at once” he hung up and took the other call “Yes? Jaejoong?” his voice was keen, phone held taut in his hand.

“Yes, hello? Yunho-shi? This is Go Ara from the hospital. You told me to call you if there was any change in Seungri's condition”

Yunho's heart sank halfway down, disappointed as he was at the person who called and more so at his own expectations. He let out a deep breath.

“Yes, Ara-shi, thank you for calling. How is he?”

“He opened his eyes this morning and seemed to struggle with the breathing tube. We took it out and he seems able to talk a little. I thought it would be best to tell you now since we're not certain if he will have a relapse”

“Got it”

Yunho got out of the car immediately and began pacing towards the hospital. He went straight to the ICU and slid past the Chief Nurse and the crowd in the waiting room without a second thought. He gave the former a hushed greeting and strolled on regardless of any consent. He only stopped moving when he found himself quite lost in the smaller corridors of the ICU block.

“They moved him” The Chief Nurse echoed his late conclusion behind his back. Her arms were crossed over her chest in an angry manner.

“Yes I figured it now” Yunho smiled weakly and bowed his head in apology. Fortunately for him she didn't dawdle much on the subject.

“I'll take you to Go Ara-sshi. I suppose you're here about the young man's recovery” she said beckoning Yunho to follow her “I heard he began to breath by himself this morning”

“Yes, that I know” Yunho said. He walked after her in long easy steps. She moved quickly about the corridors turning one corner after another but the short length of her legs slowed Yunho's usual pace.

“I suppose you are expecting to talk to him before anything bad happens” the Chief Nurse continued “A relapse isn't unusual but his burns are getting better, as far as I could tell” she added with a nudge and a giggle “I think the ribs are still healing, those will take time, they always do you know? But he will recover. Young people these days are reckless but their bodies compensate the weakness of their minds. Good genes I'd say. They have a lot to thank my generation for-”

A high pitched scream pierced the whole ICU block and stole the Chief Nurse's speech. Both her and Yunho stopped in their tracks for a second until more screams followed, each more horrifying than the next. Yunho turned to the Chief Nurse for answers wondering if some sort of painful proceeding was taking place but she shook her head.

“There's nothing of the sort scheduled for today. No new cases either”

Yunho ran instinctively towards the shrill sounds and soon met with a pair of nurses running out of a patient's room. He stepped inside it and found Go Ara plastered to the floor in shock. Her face was pale and blank. Her mouth closed tight. The shrieks certainly did not come from her. Yunho knelt beside her holding her shoulders but she only raised an arm and pointed to the bed in front of her. Yunho followed her finger and saw Seungri lying in his bed unmoving. A pool of blood surrounded what was left of his head and the still flowing blood stained the sheets a deep maroon. Yunho flinched and looked away. The smell of blood and iron suddenly becoming too intense. Yunho stood up and helped Go Ara before approaching the dead body more closely. Half of Seungri's head was blown to shambles painting a gory picture. Yunho felt both numb and nauseous looking at it, however, the clear hole left on the remains of Seungri's skull made him terribly conscious. He turned around to quit the room and found Go Ara standing beside the Chief Nurse at the door. Both women were staring at the lifeless body dismayed.

“Where are the other two nurses? Were you the first one to get here? Did you hear anything?” Yunho asked Go Ara haggardly. She shook her head quietly.

“They must have gone to security” the Chief Nurse offered, gesturing to her left side.

Yunho did not need any other incentive. He sped off in that direction deftly avoiding the incoming onlookers and hospital staff. The screams had certainly caught the attention of the whole block. After squeezing through a group of agitated interns he finally caught sight of two security guards coming his way followed by the two nurses who had sprinted past Yunho in horror earlier.

“Excuse me, police!” Yunho produced his badge out of his pocket and showed it to the two alarmed men. They gave him a curt nod in acknowledgment.

“We've been told there's been a murder” one of the guards said aghast.

“A patient was shot in the head” Yunho deadpanned “Do you mind if I speak with these two girls?” he turned to the two nurses trembling behind the security men “You were the first to get there, right? Did you see anyone suspicious? You must tell me right now, he may still be around” Yunho urged.

The girls exchanged panic looks. They seemed very young. A mere glimpse at the their name-tags told Yunho they were in their first year of internship.

“T-There was a dark haired man” one of them mumbled.

“He had a medical coat but he was taking it off when he left the room” the other explained “He was wearing black too”

“Were did he go?”

The girls pointed to the ER exit and then Yunho understood. He remembered the familiar figure and now he knew who it was. TOP. Who else could it be? Who else had any motive? He must have come to the hospital on Hyunjoong's orders to kill Seungri and finish the job. He wouldn't be able to talk if he was dead. It made sense. Yunho thanked the girls and stormed away to the ER. He pushed a few people aside in his rush and arrived to the parking lot panting. There was an ambulance moving out and Yunho caught sight of TOP in the driver's seat.

“Shit!” Yunho ran back towards his own car so fast he almost cramped a leg. When he got inside, the ambulance was already on the street driving away. Yunho managed to follow it with a string of curses erupting from his mouth and another stream of honks towards any obstructing car “Out of my way! Out out out!”

He was able to reach his radio and call for backup on a straight avenue but it was all he could do before TOP was onto him. The ambulance took a sudden U turn and steered past Yunho in the blink of an eye. Three cars braked at the infraction and their wheels scraped the ground with a screeching sound. Yunho halted and took the opportunity for a U turn as well. He drove between the motionless cars and soon was back on TOP's tail.

“You better dispatch some traffic boys to solve that mess” he muttered to the radio.

TOP was nearing the Han river and Yunho was close behind. Both were speeding up gradually and Yunho almost lost control of the wheel after a sudden turn. He hit the brakes abruptly to avoid a collision with a taxi and hit his forehead hard. The honking was thunderous and hurt his ears. Yunho put a hand to his face and blood was streaming down his forehead. It was a wonder his ears weren't bleeding profusely as well. It took him all his concentration to pick up the car again and abandon the taxi and its boisterous driver.

The sluggish sunset lightened the river with sparkling colors and turned its surface a bright mirror. Yunho had to squint his eyes to see anything near it. The ambulance was a dark dot in the distance ahead and Yunho began to feel too tired to go on. Defeat was clinging to his legs. He tasted iron and bile in his mouth and the image of Seungri's rubble of brains was still vivid in his memory. He tried to focus on something else but it was either the gore or Jaejoong's image that appeared in his mind.

“Fuck this” Yunho wrinkled at the scent of blood and sped up. The buzzing sound of the motor was strangely soothing to his ears and the calm brought him an unforeseeable solution. He turned away from the ambulance and took a side street. He kept up with TOP on a parallel alley and pressed down his foot on the accelerator. When he was a comfortable distance ahead of him, Yunho steered back the car towards the road that verged the Han river and caught TOP off guard. The latter turned the ambulance around at once, yet the blinding light reflecting off the surface of the river dazzled his vision and he turned the wrong way. Yunho was able to stop the car before the accident. TOP smashed the ambulance against the safety rail but the power of the crash was too much to withstand and he fell into the river. In an heartbeat the ambulance disappeared from Yunho's eyes and a loud splash resounded through the air.

Yunho opened the door of his car and dropped to the ground. His head was spinning with pain and blood smeared his vision.

“No, no...” he mumbled incomprehensibly. He heard some static coming from the radio inside his car but he wasn't able to discern anything meaningful. He forced himself to stay awake and he crawled to the edge of the road to peek at the river below.

The water was swallowing the ambulance inch by inch and, slumped red against the window was TOP. Unconscious or dead Yunho wasn't sure for he too closed his eyes before he could be certain of it.

* * *

Yunho woke up in a stretcher with voices and sirens going on nonstop around him. His vision was blurry but he could see two people by his side pulling the stretcher.

“What happened...” he groaned confused. Above the heads of the medics the sky was a faint orange, loosing its blue to a darker color. The sun had set.

“Stay still and don't talk” a voice said and then Yunho felt a needle in his arm and went back to nothingness.

* * *

He was met with Changmin the next time he opened his eyes. Yunho was glad he had gotten rid of the stretcher, but he wasn't sure he was equally glad of being put in a hospital bed instead.

“Hey hyung” Changmin beamed him a smile and fetched a nurse. She did a quick routine check on Yunho asked a few questions and went back to seek a doctor.

“How long was I out?” He asked.

“About two hours. Nothing serious” Changmin replied calmly. Yunho noticed he still had his clothes on and nodded. He brought a hand to his forehead and felt the bandage.

“You had a small concussion. The doctor told me he would discharge you as soon as you woke up. They only sedated you so you would rest and they could take an x-ray” Changmin explained.

“Small? There was blood everywhere” Yunho said perplexed. He stared at his hands and arms but his sleeves were clean.

“You must have imagined it after you hit your head. You saw Seungri's state after he was shot right? Maybe it struck you and you hallucinated or something. There was barely any blood on you”

“Yeah...” Yunho's voice was a whisper. He felt fine, though not completely recovered. Only a good night's sleep would take away all his exhaustion. Nonetheless, his head was a little heavy and he suspected he had a couple of stitches there.

“What happened to Seunghyun, I mean TOP? The ambulance. It went down the Han river” Yunho spoke in short breaths as he remembered the events. Changmin's calm expression twisted into one of sorrow.

“He didn't survive. I'm sorry”

Yunho half expected it. He wasn't shocked but it remained a blow to himself and to his investigation. Two key pieces dead in a day.

“I'm sorry as well. It was my fault” Yunho admitted. At the time his choice of action had seemed the best and only one possible, but now that someone was dead he regretted it entirely. Changmin didn't allow him time to wallow in self-pity though.

“Don't even start” he hissed angrily “You weren't chasing a saint” Changmin stood up from his chair and paced about the room.

“After we're over and done with the case you can do whatever you feel like hyung, but don't waste time like this. How are you feeling?” Changmin's last question made a choir with the doctor's as he entered the room. He was an old short man with glasses and a stern face.

“Fine. My head feels a little heavy” Yunho told them.

“That's not unusual. I'm giving you something for the pain if it chances to get worse. You come back in two weeks and the nurses will take your stitches. I'm discharging you now. Just sign the release forms on your way out. Good day to you gentlemen”

Quick and to the point, much like the doctor, Yunho and Changmin were done with the hospital less than ten minutes later. Yunho's head throbbed slightly with each step but he would get used to it eventually.

“Thank you for coming Changmin” Yunho said with a heartfelt smile.

“Hyung, you know I could get used to this”

“I wouldn't let you”

“So hyung, where's Kim Jaejoong? I've been thinking about him ever since they called me from the station to see you” Changmin's question prickled Yunho more deeply than expected. For a time he even forgot about the stitches and the dead men.

“I ran to the ICU after you left this morning. I never saw him nor got any call. I don't know why” Yunho forced himself to shut up. He didn't want to say anything he would regret later or to give way to those feelings in front of Changmin. He already had had enough to deal with for one day.

“Well, if there's anything I can do-”

“No, it's fine Changmin. I just want to go home and rest” Yunho replied tiredly. Changmin understood and gave him a last pat in the back.

“Take care hyung. Watch out the road, I think it's gonna rain” he said after a quick glance at the night sky. Clouds were looming above tinged with the colors of the city's bright lights.

* * *

The drive back home had never been so gloomy. It was as if the glory of the past day were a curse and everything that followed a punishment. The wild rain pouring down was nature mocking him and the flickering street lights a bad joke. Yunho might have been starring in an old noir film and not know it. The more he mulled over his day the worse he felt and there was nothing he wanted to do more than to see Jaejoong and curse at him, give him half his misery so they could share it between them. From that thought it wasn't long until the questions that had haunted his mind all day pressed back in. Where was he? What was he doing? Why wasn't he here? Did something bad happen? Yunho felt his hands steering the wheel and turning the car back the way he had come. He knew where he was headed and he knew who he hoped to find there. He just wasn't sure if he was right. Calling Yoochun seemed a better idea but merely for a moment. Yunho would only sound fretful and clingy, two traits he did not want to get across. Unfortunately, he inevitably did.

His detour to Jaejoong's apartment took him more than half an hour and by the time he got there and saw no lights on the windows his heart sank. He rang the bell, knocked on the door and tried to peek inside. All for nothing. It was pitch black and silent.

Yunho was taking long strides across the street to Yoochun's house before he knew it. Yoochun opened his door all dressed up and ready to go.

“Hyung?” he had a surprised look on his face and it deepened when he noticed Yunho's bandage.

“Where's Jae?” Yunho forgot to spell the whole name with all the heavy breathing. Yoochun sent him a funny look and then looked back at his empty hall.

“He's not here” he said nonchalantly.

“Well, he's not at home” Yunho deadpanned. His irritation did not help him retort anything clever.

“Why don't you call him?” Yoochun's question was amiable enough but far from helpful.

“Nothing” Yunho grumbled and he turned back. He heard Yoochun mutter something cross behind him but he had no patience to hear it or to respond. Let them have their secrets. _Even if he did know where Jaejoong was he wouldn't tell me_ , Yunho thought. However, something told him Yoochun was as much in the darkness as he was about Jaejoong's whereabouts.

Yunho was back to the wheel and the rain. His shoes were drenched, as were his coat and his socks. His hair was somewhat damp but not totally wet. The leaking ledge above the entrance to his apartment was probably saving that for him later. He stopped at a red light five or six blocks away from Yoochun's house. Yunho had his eyes locked on the window sweeps following their routine motion. Right, left, right, left, right, left. A couple of people crossed the street before the green light came up. One in particular caught his attention. It was a skinny woman in high heels, covering herself and her pretty red dress with a jacket. A man that walked behind her tapped her shoulder and lent her his umbrella. She shook her head at first but then accepted it gladly. The man ran the rest of his way under the rain and stopped for a moment at the nearest bus stop. It was only then that Yunho saw his face and hit the brakes fiercely. The loud screeching got the attention of the whole street but he didn't care. He left the car half parked over the sidewalk and sprang out, banging the door shut.

There were only two other people with Jaejoong at the bus stop and all three were staring at him. When Yunho's eyes caught Jaejoong's his partner flinched slightly and bolted. Yunho was still amid the street and the passing cars when Jaejoong became nothing but a smudge.

“Jaejoong!” His yell died out with the furious honking of cars.

Once Yunho made it safely to the other side of the street he ran after him. The side streets were narrow and crooked and Yunho almost lost his footing once or twice on the wet uneven pavement. Jaejoong was a shadow in front of him. He lost sight of him at corners but regained it again afterward. He shouted after him to no avail, never getting any replies. It was like a nightmare. Yunho didn't even know why Jaejoong was running away from him. Perhaps he was hallucinating again. He only knew his anger was escalating and that he wished Jaejoong would stop playing his games for once and listen. Yunho didn't know what he wanted to say, he had no idea what he was doing going after Jaejoong in the rain. He would have been so much more comfortable at home where it was warm and quiet, and lonely. Yunho cursed hard, almost biting his tongue.

“Fuck!” The chase was stupid and tiresome. His hair was plastered to his face and soaked to the roots. The ledge had been beaten. Yunho was sick of chasing tails. The previous one hadn't ended successfully and he did not mean the same to happen to this one.

Yunho cut the opposite way at the next intersection. If he was lucky and quick enough, he would meet Jaejoong at the other end of the square building. He jumped over a wire fence and landed badly on his feet. He was so battered up already that he did not feel any pain except the strength of the impact with the cold ground. A dozen steps ahead he caught up with Jaejoong. The other man came running towards him yet he caved the heels of his boots on the concrete walk and stopped a feet a way from Yunho. The latter grabbed his arm to prevent him from running away again.

Jaejoong struggled fiercely against his grip and Yunho had trouble hanging on to the pale slippery wrist.

“The hell you think you're doing?!” he yelled angrily. Jaejoong's forehead and eyes were half hidden behind the dripping bangs of his hair. He seemed scared and said nothing.

“What's wrong with you!” Yunho managed to grab Jaejoong's shoulders and shake him. He tried to look at Jaejoong's eyes but the rain kept getting on his own “You better say something! Where were you all day?!” his rage was flaring “Didn't you see my calls? Do you want to worry me to death!” He was angry and frustrated and completely out of his mind.

“Personal stuff came up” Jaejoong said as his eyes darted to Yunho's injury.

“Fuck your personal stuff! I didn't give you a day off!” the pent up frustration wore him down and all Yunho spat were foul outbursts.

Jaejoong was silent, only watching him with glossy eyes.

“I just had the shittiest of days. I don't care for your personal matters right now! Who the fuck told you you could just disappear for a whole day?! Not answering calls, not saying anything? Do you have any idea what happened today? Have you even been in Seoul? I don't think so!” after he was through, Yunho found himself gasping. He took a long breath to calm down but he only felt hot tears of exertion scalding his eyes.

Jaejoong lifted his hands to Yunho's face and brushed away the drenched bangs that had been clouding Yunho's vision and which the latter hadn't bothered with.

“I'm sorry I didn't show up today” Jaejoong said softly, his hand caressed Yunho's face “Did you miss me?”

Yunho's reply was wordless. He dove right into Jaejoong's lips and kissed him deeply.

There was no longer any limbo to thread on.


	16. Chapter 16

  
Their kiss was long and sloppy. Yunho was unyielding and the rain broke them up before either one wanted to. His heartbeat was a mess of rhythms, beating painfully and anxiously. By the time Jaejoong started kissing him back, Yunho didn't know what to do other than pull the other man closer and embrace him tightly. He tasted like nothing Yunho knew, yet it was wonderful and natural. It unleashed in him a warmth the rain was unable to cool. Yunho cupped Jaejoong's face with both hands and leaned left and right following Jaejoong's movements. The kiss swept away his remaining fury in a clean swift stroke. The hand Jaejoong had raised to caress his face clenched the back of his neck and pulled Yunho down towards his smaller frame. None of it seemed real. Half of Yunho condemned their behavior and the other was entirely skeptical. Only his body reacted, proving the kiss was real.  
  
“No- wait-” Jaejoong stopped abruptly and shoved Yunho away with the hand he had gripping Yunho's jacket. Yunho stepped backwards startled as if brought back from a dream. Words of apology sprung to his mouth but he didn't say them. They would only be lies since he didn't mean them and it was too late for those any way.  
  
“What?” he growled angry at the interruption. His reaction seemed to confuse Jaejoong whose face was all perplexity.  
  
“Why- w-what are you doing...” Jaejoong stammered badly, his brain slowly catching up with what had just happened.  
  
“Do you really need a clue?” Yunho teased. He didn't know where all his confidence was coming from but he was certain Jaejoong's full lips ripe for the taking had something to do with it. His blood was running hot and fast, and it took Yunho his whole being not to yield to poor base decisions.  
  
“We can't do this” Jaejoong muttered in his rasp voice. Yunho barely heard him over the pouring rain. Instead he chose to focus on how appealing it looked caressing Jaejoong's face and pooling above his upper lip.  
  
“Is it because I'm a man?” he heard himself say like a fool, his own insecurities slipping by.  
  
“Fuck you, who do you think I am!” Jaejoong cried enraged. He stepped forward to grab Yunho's collar and shove him back some more but Yunho held his ground and pulled Jaejoong close by the wrists.  
  
“Just come home with me” he said gently. Yunho knew he didn't have to beg. He only had to give a slight push. There was something stopping Jaejoong, something which had pulled him away from that kiss and made him as apprehensive as Yunho had been all those times he had towered above Jaejoong just the right way, so unbearably close. Yunho could see Jaejoong's frown dissipate, his expression softening, a glimmer in his eye which no drop of rain could take into account. Yunho bent his neck to feel Jaejoong's collarbone. He traced it with the tip of his nose and went up to his chin. Jaejoong groaned when Yunho began to leave soft kisses on the way to his ear.  
  
“Not fair” Jaejoong's moan came disguised as a complaint. Yunho's smile almost imprinted itself in his ear.  
  
“You never play fair” he replied. Jaejoong pulled back a little to gaze at him and indulge Yunho in another deep kiss. Yunho lost his mind to his senses right then and reached for Jaejoong's lower back again, pressing their bodies together.  
  
“You're gonna regret this” Jaejoong told him out of breath. The warning was nothing new to Yunho, however he had all the time in the world plus eternity to regret things afterward.  
  
“Maybe I will, maybe I won't”

* * *

“Want a drink?”

It was not really a question as much as it was an invitation. Yunho answered with a bright smile, stepping over Jaejoong's threshold and tackling the other man at once. They fell to the floor in laughs and grunts but those soon turned into moans, kisses and tangled legs. Jaejoong had to crawl from under Yunho and escape to his bedroom so they would not end up doing it by the front door.  
  
“You know what you're doing?” Jaejoong taunted gasping for breath, the bed creaking under his weight.  
  
“You'll teach me” Yunho uttered in a rasping voice. Jaejoong laughed.  
  
Yunho's mind was far away from his worries. He surrendered totally to the moment, being only able to taste more of the pale skin beneath him and abandon everything to Jaejoong's scent. They struggled with each others clothing eager for touch. Yunho's fantasies could not remotely compare to the reality before him. He would have chuckled at the thought if Jaejoong's hand on his erection didn't evoke more groans out of him. Yunho assaulted his nipples in revenge, kicking their clothes to the floor in the process. Jaejoong threw his head back in pleasure, his muscles flexing as he tried not to give in to the rush of ecstasy.  
  
“Kiss me” Jaejoong's pleading came with a haggard breath and Yunho endeavored to satisfy it. He was going half-mad with Jaejoong's hot tongue stroking his and the biting and sucking on his lips. Jaejoong's hunger rivaled his own and it was impossible to stop that notion from reaching his aching cock.  
  
Jaejoong's hand traveled down Yunho's back to his buttocks and squeezed, his nails scraping the skin and sending a wave of pleasure up his spine. Yunho gasped and bucked his hips involuntarily, his body quaking. Underneath him Jaejoong writhed and shuddered along, his fingers searing Yunho's torso wherever they touched. When he felt Jaejoong's thumb rub the tip of his cock his eyes reeled and a loud whimper escaped from his throat.  
  
“I need you inside me, now” Jaejoong's usual gentle raspy voice was gone, replaced by a grave tone of demand. His flushed cheeks and wanton looks fueled the fire in Yunho's gut. He shut him up with a violent kiss, wet mouths melding together desperately.  
  
“S-Stop, let me” Jaejoong pushed Yunho back and reversed their positions, straddling himself above him “Get me the lube on the first drawer” he uttered exasperated.  
  
Yunho groped the nightstand never taking his eyes off Jaejoong. He pulled the drawer's handle and fumbled with the contents inside while Jaejoong's attention to his cock threatened to send him over the edge. He passed the lube to the busy man above him and watched as he coated his hand and fingered himself open. Yunho's heart nearly jumped out of his chest, so violently was its pounding.  
  
“Jaejoong...” the name rolled out of his mouth in despair. Jaejoong's bewitching lithe and sweaty frame left him breathless. He couldn't remember the times he had imagined it in secret, the times he had climaxed just thinking about having his way with him. Yunho hissed as he touched his own erection. He began fondling it, timing his strokes to Jaejoong's rocking. The pace picked up gradually and Jaejoong fell forward, leaning on one hand while the other worked relentlessly behind him. He whimpered as he rode his fingers, the sound muffled against Yunho's neck.  
  
“I'm gonna loose my fucking mind” Yunho cursed, blood so hot he thought his body was burning up. Jaejoong let out a low groan which only aggravated Yunho's throbbing problem “You're such a fucking tease-”  
  
“Shut up” Jaejoong put a stop to Yunho's complains by grabbing his cock, rearing up and finally ramming down. Yunho grunted and Jaejoong let out a lewd cry followed by what seemed like the purr of a contented feline.  
  
“So tight-” Yunho could barely contain himself from thrusting into the warm flesh gripping him and when Jaejoong began moving his hips dangerously up and down his shaft he lost whatever sliver of control he still had. Yunho tugged Jaejoong's arm and pushed him aside, tackling him down on the bed. He pulled out and then pushed back in again, the thrust eliciting another lustful scream from Jaejoong.  
  
“Yunho...!!”  
  
After a few slow thrusts, Yunho gave in. He was so unbearably close that even looking at Jaejoong's face felt like a sin. He slammed hard into his tight spot, over and over again, faster and harder each time. Jaejoong's arms were wrapped around his neck, nails digging right into his back. He moaned out his name repeatedly, faltering and losing his voice each time Yunho hit his sweet spot.  
  
They came shortly one after the other and soon were laying side by side, panting and sweating while staring at the ceiling. The deed was done. Yunho closed his eyes drunk with passion and inhaled. Beside him he could feel the heat from Jaejoong's body electrifying every brush of their skin. They stood in silence hearing each other breathe.  
  
“You know what this is right?” Yunho said after awhile.  
  
“I've known from the beginning” Jaejoong replied.  
  
A hand reached out to his and Yunho felt their fingers intertwine.  
  
The exhaustion of the day overcame him and next thing Yunho knew he was waking up in a cold lonely bed. The room was dark gray, the faint light coming through the blinders heralding another cloudy morning.  
  
Once he sat up and looked at the empty space behind him, a spear seemed to have jabbed him through the heart. Yunho buried his face in his hands, fighting both embarrassment and a building amount of regret. Jaejoong's absence after their night could only mean one thing and one thing only, that it was something to forget. Something that should never have happened. Yunho's prude side clung to that conclusion overwhelmingly and while his heart started beating furiously in his chest, his brain tried to come up with words to address Jaejoong and explain himself. He barely knew where to start.  
  
Yunho pulled on his underwear and pants and stooped down to search for his socks. After putting those on, he sat on the bed and took a deep breath. He knew the rest of his clothes were scattered throughout the apartment, given the way he and Jaejoong had stormed through last night, desperate to get to the bedroom. Just thinking about it sent a red flush up Yunho's neck. Alone in the quiet of that room, such a steamy night did not seem real at all and the echoes of Jaejoong's throaty moans were easily shelved back into their realm of fantasy.  
  
The sound of Yunho's ringtone started him. It wasn't loud but in the stillness of Jaejoong's apartment it roared to deafness. Yunho fished his cellphone out of his back pocket and took the call.  
  
“Yes?”  
  
“Yunho? Is that you?” the Chief's deep voice pulled him back to Earth. Yunho straightened his back and cleared his voice.  
  
“Yes, sir. Something urgent?”  
  
“As a matter a fact, yes. I need you to come to the station as soon as possible. The papers and some people from the ministry have been pressuring me to give a press conference on your cases. Apparently the links between them have been getting out and they want to hear more about it. It's been scheduled to this afternoon, it's the most I could put it off, so don't be late”  
  
“Very well, sir”  
  
“Ah, and bring Jaejoong with you. At least the press will like him” the old man added before hanging up.  
  
Yunho nodded and stashed back his phone. He stood a moment in silence to indulge in a long sigh, dreading the day ahead. All he wanted to do was curl back into bed and rest, hopefully in the same company of the past night. But the thought was quicker to depress than please him and Yunho had an incredibly short fuse for his own whims. What was done was done and if they had to call it a mistake and move on, they should. They would still have the case to share between them if nothing else.  
  
The house was deserted. There really seemed to be no Jaejoong around. Yunho peaked inside the bathroom as a last resort but without luck. On the kitchen, the table was set for breakfast and it made Yunho furrow a brow. He was near the front door, picking up his shirt from where Jaejoong had thrown it to the floor, when a key went in the lock and his partner walked in looking fresh and clean. As soon as they locked stares Yunho could swear he saw Jaejoong's lips curl slightly upwards, though the sunlight left him with doubts. He mouthed an awkward greeting while putting on his shirt.  
  
“Hey. Sorry, I woke first and went to Yoochun's house to check the cameras. You looked so tired I didn't want to wake you up” Jaejoong muttered a little breathlessly, his eyes roaming Yunho's torso before the shirt went down it.  
  
“It's okay, you find anything?” Yunho asked calmly, keen on avoiding any other subject.  
  
“No, it was clean, but we'll be on the lookout” Jaejoong told him.  
  
A minute of silence followed and they both just stood there looking at each other stupidly.  
  
“The Chief called” Yunho declared flatly. Jaejoong nodded his head.  
  
“There's gonna be a press conference this afternoon and he wants us there ASAP to go over the details and prepare everything”  
  
“Sure, let's just have some breakfast first” Jaejoong replied in a bland manner, completely unfazed by the news. He walked past Yunho towards the kitchen and the latter had no choice but to follow him, a silly smile on his face.

* * *

  
They didn't allude to the sex the whole morning. Each seemed to be waiting for the other one to speak out but since neither did they were stuck in a standstill. Talk of work soon filled the gaps their mutual awkwardness produced and they immersed themselves in the details of the cases, personal feelings and worries aside. Perhaps the only time Yunho was reminded of it was when they got to the station and the Chief told him to get his uniform out of his locker and take a shower before the cameras started rolling. He had a point there.  
  
Public appearances always stressed everyone out at the station. The female staff members particularly fussed about every little thing and some even succumbed to their giddiness. Yunho always found them extremely helpful at such times, however, he had to disentangle himself from their clutches if he wanted to get anything done.  
  
“Thank you, please let me through”  
  
It was no wonder though. The uniform fitted him like a second skin and his shaven face, clear of the ragged look it has been sporting for the past few days made him look like some kind of model. The Chief patted him on the back and Jaejoong stared at him long, finding it hard not to ogle him abashedly.  
  
“How do I look?” Yunho asked his partner naively. Jaejoong bit his lip and frowned.  
  
“You just defeated my purpose as eye candy”  
  
“That's impossible” Yunho teased.  
  
Jaejoong wasn't looking bad himself, dressed in a white shirt and black pants. He didn't have a uniform, but the simplest clothing on him only gave emphasis to his uncommon beauty.  
  
They blushed and Jaejoong was itching to reach out and straighten Yunho's tie when the Chief called them and ushered them to the conference room.  
  
The conference lasted longer than predicted with repeating questions, requests for photos, criticism of the police force and political entanglements that always surfaced whenever a group of journalists met together. The Chief's temper survived but after having it stretched to its limits he declared the end of the session and dismissed the present officers. Yunho and Jaejoong moved on at his behest but were tackled at the exit by a couple of gossip reporters.  
  
Finally back at the office, they fell back in their chairs eager to unwind, yet Yunho was called to the Chief's office to receive directions on how to proceed with the case.  
  
“The people want blood, it's nothing new. They want drama and shock, but we're not giving them any of that” the Chief grumbled as he lighted a cigarette “We're going to get things done! I want you to squeeze that blonde kid real nice and get me some source on Hyunjoong and his buddy. We need to close this damn case. Go knock on doors, sweep Itaewon, Hongdae, the whole of Seoul, wrap it up!”  
  
After a few more yells the Chief let Yunho go and slammed shut the door to his office. Yunho knew the lecture had been more a byproduct of the old man's bad humor after the appalling press conference and, unfortunately for him, there's was only one lead detective to dump all his frustration on.  
  
Yunho returned to his desk with a grimace.  
  
“That bad was it?” Jaejoong wondered. Yunho grunted in response.  
  
“Back to work on those depositions I guess”  
  
“That and knocking on doors” Yunho said tiredly “We need to hit the streets and ask around, I don't see any other way after all our leads dropped dead. The Chief thinks we can still get something out of Jiyong. How's it going with the lawyer?”  
  
“So far so good”  
  
“You saw the other day's tape?”  
  
“Yeah, most of his story adds up”  
  
“I think so too”  
  
“Should I schedule another talk with him?”  
  
“Yeah, we'll pay him another visit” Yunho nodded “But tomorrow we're off to Itaewon. I don't think the Chief wants us around sitting on our asses”  
  
“It's for the best” Jaejoong replied with a chuckle.  
  
The rest of the evening wore off and by sundown they were ready to call it a day. Yunho's head had begun to throb and he was eager to go home and rest.  
  
It was at that time that the recollection of the past night's debauchery came to mind. Yunho was unbuttoning the front of his uniform so he could put on his long overcoat when his eyes casually met Jaejoong's and it clicked. He had barely said anything but Jaejoong's pupils were already widened. Yunho felt heat pooling in his stomach.  
  
“You coming?” his mouth moved faster than his denial “With me?”  
  
Jaejoong paused before answering, his chest heaved anxiously.  
  
“Only if you keep the uniform” he smirked.  
  
Yunho buttoned up again.

* * *

  
For someone who had been terrified about acknowledging the past night, Yunho didn't lose any time thinking about the consequences of the next. Nonetheless, he could hardly be blamed for the fatigue, pain and grogginess of work seemed to dissipate in Jaejoong's embrace. The second he closed the door of his apartment and Jaejoong threw him against the wall he was sold. Those luscious lips didn't let him escape even if he wanted to. Yunho was hard before they got to the living room. Jaejoong pushed him into the sofa and sat on his lap, his bulge grinding against Yunho's as they dry-humped each other like teenagers.  
  
“You're sure taking your time taking my uniform off” Yunho uttered close to Jaejoong's throat, his hot breath made Jaejoong moan.  
  
“You'll have to fuck me with it first” Jaejoong replied pulling down his zipper. Yunho gulped down in response, his arousal throbbing painfully.  
  
Jaejoong palmed the length of his bulge and smiled deviously.  
  
“Want me to take care of this?”  
  
Yunho grunted a nod in frustration, half-enticed by Jaejoong's provocations but also half-mad. His mind was spinning and his whole body tuned to Jaejoong's touch.  
  
“I've been waiting for this ever since you got into that thing” Jaejoong muttered greedily.  
  
“Can you not be such a per-”  
  
Yunho was robbed of his speech as a hot and wet mouth enveloped the tip of his cock. He inhaled brusquely, careful not to buck too hard into the tormenting vice. Jaejoong sucked him in, his tongue licking Yunho's lenght shamelessly from base to crest. The lapping noises begged Yunho to roll his hips. He tried to articulate some words but lost them when Jaejoong whimpered and the sound vibrated against his erection.  
  
“If you keep doing that I'm gonna lose it!” Yunho grabbed Jaejoong's collar and pulled him up towards him. As they kissed Yunho let his hands roam down Jaejoong's back and hooked his fingers on the other man's pants, jerking them down with his underwear.  
  
“Time for some wish fulfilling” his voice was low and Jaejoong choked.  
  
“Please Mr. Officer” he begged.  
  
Yunho held back a chuckle and carried on. Jaejoong laid down on the sofa and opened his legs invitingly, raising them over Yunho's shoulders. After loosening him up, Yunho pounded Jaejoong ravenously, quickly picking up his pace, starving for that tight  warm space clamping around him. He reached down to Jaejoong's erection and pumped it along with his thrusts. They moaned and cried as the waves of pleasure poured over them, hearts beating unbearably fast and sweat mingling together.  
  
Jaejoong came all over his uniform, the fluid sticky and moist, and his face bore the ultimate smile of satisfaction. Yunho pinched his cheek and swooped down for a light kiss.  
  
“Better than I expected” Jaejoong mumbled happily.  
  
Yunho rolled his eyes and fell on top of him, wriggling and scooting over to the remaining space of the sofa.  
  
“I'm starving”  
  
“Then let's have some takeout, I am not moving from here” Yunho grumbled above Jaejoong's shoulder.  
  
“Oh, so you're a cuddler?” Jaejoong teased him, turning around so he could face Yunho.  
  
“No, I'm a tired police detective” he whined. Jaejoong snickered and kissed his pouting lips.  
  
“Tired of doing what I wonder?”  
  
“You”  
  
Jaejoong exploded in laughter, almost falling out of the sofa. His elation was contagious and Yunho broke out into a laugh as well, managing to grab Jaejoong by the forearm and pull him back up.  
  
His heart swelled with bliss and even after he had a secure arm encircling Jaejoong's waist he seized him with the other, feeling like he was grasping a happiness that could fade at any moment.

  
Their night continued what the previous one had started, much to the pleasure of both men. They fell asleep a couple of hours before sunrise and Yunho doubted either would regret it later. He fell into a deep peaceful sleep like none he had ever experienced before. When a loud banging on his door woke him up he jerked violently, as if some demon had pulled him down from heaven. His heart was hammering in his throat from the shock and he stumbled out of the bed in darkness. He groped around for a pair of boxers and a shirt and walked clumsily towards the door, his ass sore and his muscles still dormant.  
  
“Yes, who is it?” he asked with a hand on the knob.  
  
“It's Ji Hye” an angry voice answered “I've been knocking forever oppa!”  
  
Yunho opened the door at once, a yawn escaping his mouth in the process.  
  
Ji Hye gasped when she saw his figure.  
  
“Were you sleeping?! Have you taken a look at the time?” she asked with a surprised look on her face.  
  
“Yeah, I was...” Yunho's mellow daze slipped away as soon as he remembered the naked Jaejoong still lying asleep on his bed. Ji Hye walked past him and he watched her go towards the kitchen with a sense of doom over his head.  
  
“Mother sent me lots of stuff again, I passed by to drop your half, along with some leftovers. I know you could do with some real food” she said with a giggle, dropping her bags by the fridge “Your kitchen is a mess oppa, look at all this trash, did you order takeout again?”  
  
Yunho leaned against the door jamb guiltily.  
  
“Yeah”  
  
“But this is too much...” she trailed off. Yunho felt a cold sweat break on his forehead.  
  
“Did you have someone over?” she wondered, then putting two and two together she gasped “Is she still here?!” she covered her smile with her hand. Yunho blushed and rolled his eyes trying to hide his embarrassment. He bent over to grab her bags filled with groceries and put them on the counter, yet when he turned back to her Ji Hye had already disappeared. Yunho's heart clenched in mortification. He scampered to the living room and found her there frozen in place, looking at the floor. There were no woman’s clothing to be found.  
  
“So, when I asked how things were going last time and you said they were different, did you mean this, oppa? Do you like men now?”  
  
“No” the vehemency with which he replied surprised even himself. His sister was silent.  
  
“It's not like that”  
  
“Then how is it?” her voice was ice. She turned to look at him but her eyes fell on the marks on his neck. Her frown of disgust pierced him.  
  
“It's not something I can help” he said somberly. Ji Hye did not seem pleased with the answer. There was no plausible answer to begin with. Nothing that would ever make her understand.  
  
“Yes you can. You can stop it” she muttered. Yunho thought he was hearing his mother's words through her mouth. A chill ran up his spine.  
  
“It doesn't work like that, Ji Hye” he knew he was pleading “You know it doesn't”  
  
“Of course I don't know. How could I?” she hissed and flew past him. Yunho walked after her to the front door.  
  
“Ji Hye”  
  
“I'm going now” she said after putting on her shoes. Yunho handed her her purse and watched her fumble with it. She took out her cellphone, checked for messages and missed calls and shoved it back inside. Yunho reached for her wrist before she got to the door.  
  
“Ji Hye, please don't tell mother, don't tell anyone”  
  
She gave him a blank look.  
  
“As if I would shame us by spreading it around” she said, eyes cast down. Something sharp stabbed his heart, but Yunho ignored it. His sister's long hair hid her face and she went on “But rest assured, I won't tell mother, nor father”  
  
“Thank you” the words came out shriveled, small and dry.  
  
“Oppa” Ji Hye turned around one last time after he let go of her wrist. Her eyes were watery and her expression grief-stricken “I ask you one thing in return” Yunho didn't reply, he knew what she wanted “Let him go. Please. Nothing good will ever come of it”  
  
“I love him”  
  
“You can love somebody else”  
  
Yunho gave her a sad smile.  
  
“Goodbye oppa. I'll pray for you”  
  
 _If only God could help me. I love him._  
  
The more he said it, the realer it was, the more he loved him.


End file.
